Redemption
by Saffron Panther
Summary: Willard Tanaka, a fifteen year old raccoon, lands himself in the middle of a conflict between forces involving the Cooper Gang, Interpol, and a notorious criminal group known as the Reborn.
1. Unable to Sleep

Note: This is a work of mine, so this belongs to Saffron Panther. I own many of the characters in the story, so basically I do not own Sly, Bentley, Murray, Carmelita, Neyla, Rouge, or any other characters that belongs to Sucker Punch or Sega.

**Chapter One: **Unable to Sleep

Willard Tanaka couldn't sleep that night.

He turned over on his side and began to lose himself in thought. The main concern was that this was not the first time that this had happened. The night before, he had problems getting to sleep as well as he did tonight. His sleek brown eyes observed the entire room, investigating for any sort of balm that would help his sudden case of insomnia. Will had bad nights previous to tonight, but this was the worst of them all.

The teenage raccoon adverted his gaze to the left back wall of his room where there were countless newspaper and magazine articles about his idol. A smile crept upon Willard's tired face. He was inspired greatly by the endeavors of one Master Thief Sly Cooper and his various escapes from both criminal and police forces alike. Each article had been cut out of the periodical he selected and taped to the left back wall of his room. His favorite ones dictated the defeat of the Fiendish Five and the Klaww Gang from the past three weeks since the incident of the return of Clockwerk, the evil mechanical owl.

His family and piers often ridiculed him for admiring a criminal. William and Marina Tanaka were both ashamed of this fact, but allowed their son to go through with it, as long as it was within the boundaries of the home. The other people around Paris frequently accused him of being a criminal himself and working with Cooper. Will always laughed at that one, because it really was what he had deemed best.

A sudden noise came to his attention.

He turned to the window and looked out to the streets ahead. There was the sound of rushing feet; he swore he could hear it. The road was empty and there were no people outside of the building.

"Odd," Will said.

_"Damn!" Axel cursed as his foot struck a trashcan outside of the Tanaka house._

_The red cougar was not expecting to be doing such a pathetic task. The superiors had informed him greatly that this job was a necessity, not an option. Axel couldn't help but laugh. A necessity? No. This was just another job that the Boss was too lazy to do himself. Besides, it wasn't like Axel Langston got paid anymore than usual for these little rendezvous he often made. _

_The cougar stopped by the window until he felt that the occupant was coming towards his hiding place. Normally, Axel would kill the newcomer on the spot. Tonight, however was a taking, not a killing. The teenager he had to "escort" back to the base would be in that room and the Boss would be extremely sore if the wanted person was nothing more than a bloody corpse._

_Axel waited silently. He took out a cigarette and lit it with a concealed match._

_"You know why they call those _death _sticks, right?" another voice stated._

_"Hell with you, Cameron," Axel grunted._

_"Been there, done that," the other said._

_Out of the darkness merged a crazy looking wolf with a long slender metallic object in his hands. He looked as though he had done some heavy-duty damage to several lives. This was Cameron Broderick, a lunatic murderer who was supposed to follow and aid Axel if necessary. Axel scoffed at that thought, but said nothing to the Boss. It was always better to work with that crazy bastard than it was to confront the Boss._

_"You might want to put that out," Cameron retorted._

_"You might to shut your mouth," Axel responded._

_Enough was enough. Time to get to business._

Willard moved back towards his bed, wondering what that sound was that he had heard outside only moments before. He scratched his head in both confusion and to get rid a nasty itch forming on his temple. The raccoon turned his attention to the bed when he felt a sudden burst of pain.

He winced slightly at the feeling upon his upper chest below his neck. Will had forgotten that he was wearing something around it. The necklace he wore was a type of charm, or something like that, he had found in the streets a while back. The chain was an amber color leading to an amulet with a fiery tiger displayed upon it. He never thought that it could react as it did just now. There was a burning feeling in his flesh around where the amulet had rested upon previously.

_Why did it do that? _He thought. _This makes no sense. The amulet never did that before._ _Why is it starting now?_

Willard didn't notice that it was glowing.

Nor did he notice that there was someone was coming in.


	2. The Taking

**Chapter Two: **The Taking

_Axel was good at these kinds of things. It was tasks like these that made him the great Reborn member that he was. The cougar chuckled under his breath, taking care not to swallow the cigarette he still had in his mouth. Getting this kid was going to be a lot easier than he originally thought. _

_The cougar slid the unlocked window aside and went into the room, unnoticed because the teenage raccoon had his back turned. _

* * *

_Why did it do that? _He thought. _This makes no sense. The amulet never did that before._ _Why is it starting now?_

He didn't notice how Axel had made his way in, but didn't care. He now realized that the amulet he wore around his neck was now glowing at a very fierce rate. The effect was slightly blinding and Will had to close his eyes for a moment before he would be blinded by the blast of light. It died shortly after it had begun.

"How pretty…a light show," a voice said from behind him.

Will spun around at the sound of the voice and saw a red cougar there with a cigarette in his mouth and a gun in his hands.

"Nice, kid. Now, you're coming with me!" the cougar yelled.

* * *

_Cameron liked sneaking around people's houses. It allowed him a chance to steal and sneak up on the people for a swift and satisfying kill. He always laughed at such a thought, sending shivers up all spines including his own. But Cameron didn't care, oh no. The only thing that mattered to him was that he would get to kill someone._

_There was a male raccoon waltzing around for a midnight snack. Well, unfortunately for him, Cameron came from behind and seized him by the throat. _

_"What do you want?" the older raccoon gasped._

_"I want to kill you," Cameron replied coldly. "I want to sink my teeth into your neck and rip it wide open to satisfy my bloodthirsty needs."_

_Cameron laughed insanely. The older raccoon tried to reach for a knife that he was using to stab his attacker. Before he could, Cameron Broderick sank his teeth into the raccoon's neck and his unfortunate victim knew no more._

At least I'm honest, _the wolf thought. _Can't blame me for that.

* * *

"What do mean?" Will asked, afraid of what the reason might be.

"What part of 'you're coming with me' don't you understand? My God, you are a little idiot! I still wonder why the Boss would want to do with a piece of crap like you."

Will was afraid, but he couldn't move. His legs and feet were frozen to the floor. The cougar began to advance on him when Will swung his left leg unexpectedly into the charging enemy. Axel roared with rage when he found himself flying forwards into the floor. Muttering mild curses, Axel charged again with much more rage and threw himself into Willard's chest. The raccoon flew backwards into a desk he often used to write in his journal.

Pain shot through his body with astonishing agility that was to be believed. Willard had never felt so much pain in his life as he did right now. His back felt as though his spine was going to snap in two like a wishbone. Willard was scared to the highest limit, especially when Axel charged again into his chest. This time, he flew directly into the left back wall where the countless articles were posted and falling pieces of paper slashed his skin lightly like tiny blades coming in for the kill.

"That's more like it," Axel grunted, looking over Will's collapsed form. "Now, you can come peacefully, or we can have that little session all over again."

* * *

_Cameron was licking at the trace amounts of blood that stained his fingers and the taste delighted his devilish needs. The wolf thought back to the kill, looking at the corpse he had chewed up pretty badly after killing the guy. His teeth were slightly sore, because some of the meat was hard to chew._

_"William?" a new voice called._

_Cameron froze for a moment before he realized whom that voice belonged to. _

_"William? Willard? I heard a terrible noise and I was wondering-AAH!"_

_There was a pretty raccoon woman walking into the kitchen and she was speaking before she had found the chewed-up corpse of her obvious husband on the floor. She screamed and this delighted Cameron and even slightly aroused him._

_"What happened? William? William?" she called out._

_"I afraid your husband is dead, although quite tasty to nibble on."_

_The raccoon woman turned on Cameron and shrieked, noticing the drying blood around his muzzle and fingers clenching a slender metallic weapon._

_"Ever wonder what it feels like to truly impersonate a birthday cake candle?" he snickered, raising the concealed flamethrower and pulling the trigger._

* * *

"Now you can come peacefully," Axel stated. "And take that amulet with you."

Will never felt so much pain…so he decided to get up and walk with-.

"_YOU"LL NEVER TAKE ME!" _Will screamed as he suddenly threw his amulet into the cougar's face.

Just as he had planned, the amulet began to glow and the cougar howled in pain evidenced by his cries. But Will remained firm with pressing the metal charm against Axel Langston's head. There was a slight trail of smoke coming from underneath the amulet's metallic body. Axel was moaning painfully and tried to remove the amulet from his face to no avail whatsoever.

That was until Will smelled more smoke. There was a slight scent of smoke coming from the other rooms of his home.

"Mom! Dad!" he screamed, releasing the amulet from the cougar's face.

He ran through the door to his room, leaving Axel behind to clutch his torched face. The raccoon ran forwards to the living when he saw the flames dancing all over the furniture and everywhere else. He then saw something even more disturbing.

"MOM!" he yelled.

He looked towards a female figure caught aflame. Marina Tanaka was on fire and gruesomely torn open by fire. Will ran from there to seek out his father when he saw the chewed-up corpse of William Tanaka slightly alight by fire.

"Mom…Dad…" Will began to cry.

"Sad really…how someone could call such things his parents. That is such a weird view for an honored teen, to think that a chew toy could be a father."

Will froze at the sound of the other voice. He turned around slowly and saw the crazy wolf that had murdered his parents amongst other victims.

"Hi, kid," Cameron grinned, revealing several sharp teeth. "I guess you've beaten Axel, but you didn't count on me!"

The wolf charged and Will found himself falling backwards near the flames, the amulet falling from his fist onto the floor beside him. Cameron looked over his prey with that look of lust to kill. But he knew this boy needed to reach the Boss first. Then, Cameron would have his way.

"Don't worry…I won't kill you, _yet_."

The wolf grabbed Will and the amulet nearby. He placed it into the raccoon's hand, figuring it would be better for the boy to present the wanted talisman. Besides, in this state, there was absolutely no way that he would be able to get away now. The wolf laughed wickedly as he had proceeded outside of the burning house.

* * *

"Murray? Where are we?"

Sly Cooper was lying against the side of his seat in great anticipation of that his friend would know where they were precisely. Lately, they had been getting lost on their heists and Murray was slightly losing his touch.

"I don't know exactly, but we aren't lost!" the hippo protested.

"Then _where _are we?" a turtle nearby asked.

"I don't know, but we aren't-."

"MURRAY! WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!" Bentley the turtle yelled.

Murray hadn't been paying attention to the road. Otherwise, he would have noticed the ominous-looking wolf running across the road, carrying a young raccoon under his arm.

Fortunately, Sly never missed a single detail.

"Murray, stop the van."

Murray looked at Sly with slight confusion, but did as he was told. The van grinded to a halt near where the wolf was standing in the road. Sly climbed out of the van to the unexpected pedestrian.

"What you want?" the wolf asked.

"I would like to know why you're carrying a young person under your arm," Sly replied, wanting to know everything.

"That ain't none of your business, Cooper!" the wolf retorted. "I am on an excursion and I ain't going to be explaining to the Boss that he didn't get what he wanted because a certain raccoon thief stood in my way."

"Let go of that person," Sly growled.

"Who do you think you are? My Boss? No, you're a lousy bastard from a crappy line of crappy thieves who couldn't hold a candle to the Boss."

This outraged Sly. He charged the wolf with full force, sending the hostage flying into the road. The wolf roared in fury and returned the attack, only to be thrown backwards into the pavement by a bigger force.

"No one hurts friends of "The Murray"! Stay back, vile fiend!"

The wolf looked at them for a moment, and then started to run. Normally, he would have killed both of them, but the hostage was in their possession. The Boss would be royally pissed if the raccoon boy was dead because of him.

"Fine, screw this! It ain't worth dying for!" the wolf yelled back.

Sly and Murray looked over the teenage raccoon with great concern.

"Get him in the van, Murray. He looks like he really needs some help."


	3. Concerns of a Vixen

**Chapter Three: **Concerns of a Vixen

She had been having headaches for the past few weeks and was starting to notice that they had intensified by much. But this didn't matter too much for her to comprehend with all of the factors going on. There was the Klaww Gang, then the escape of Cooper to her mortal and endless disgust. Then, there was the little manner of what had occurred at the Tanaka house only last night.

Carmelita wiped the beads of sweat that formed on her temple and sighed. She had been working underneath that desk lamp for a while now and had fallen asleep slightly overlooking the documents spread out before her. The vixen felt a wave of shock when she had finally gotten up and had gone to her post.

"What?" she asked in confusion.

"It's just as I have said, Inspector Fox," the older fox stated. "There was a fire at the Tanaka house that got William and Marina Tanaka both murdered."

"What happened to their son?" she asked.

"We don not know, Inspector. From an eyewitness account, an anonymous person took him from the home. Probably, one of the attackers from the place, paired with that red cougar Axel Langston we found alive but seriously wounded in the fire. He ranted on that his face was burned because Willard Tanaka had slammed some "amulet" into his face and it burned him."

"Where is Axel Langston now?"

"I'm afraid, Ms. Fox, that he is dead."

"Dead? Chief Walker, what do you mean?"

Chief Jud Walker paced a little bit before he faced her again. He could tell, knowing her nature that she wanted to find out what she had missed.

"Do you know what cyanide is?" he asked bluntly.

She nodded.

"Yes, cyanide is a suicide poison. Axel Langston had a small jar full of cyanide pills in his pocket. Apparently, he took one before we could question him."

Carmelita looked shocked. She had no idea that someone could be so idiotic as to kill himself with a cyanide pill. Then again, this could be a breakthrough to the identity of his organization, if there was one. Also, he was a lowbrow criminal.

"Did you find any trace of a possible organization?" she asked.

"Yes, he had an insignia of a bloody black rose sewn into the black robe he was wearing. I don't know what kind of organization has that, but we are going to find out."

The older fox looked at her with great concern in his eyes. He knew that this was a bad sign. First, it was the Fiendish Five here two years ago. Then, the Klaww Gang was barely defeated three weeks before now. He knew that she was not alone in the service of arresting and defeating each member. (That is, save for one that was killed.) Jud Walker was no fool when it came to police work, but he was far from just jumping to conclusions too.

Carmelita came to her office shortly after attaining the necessary information from Chief Walker. She already had enough to think about now and really needed to overlook those other files. She was halfway there when she froze.

There was a _very_ familiar lavender tigress in the hall with emerald eyes and a red-gold shawl over her head. She turned to Carmelita and smiled.

"Fancy that. I didn't think I'd be seeing you again, Ironsides."

"You!" Carmelita cried out in anger and shock. "What the hell are you doing back here? I thought you were killed!"

"Yes, you and the world," the tigress laughed. "But I'm not dead, Carmelita. I have survived and have realized what horrible things I've done to you and the others."

"I don't believe you for a second, Neyla. I remember what you did to me."

"Yes, I remember too and I am dreadfully sorry for that," Neyla said. "You see, it's not everyday that a person has such a momentous near-death experience. I realize that now and want to make up for what I have done."

_That's a load of crap_, Carmelita thought.

Just then, Walker had come down the hallway.

"Oh, I see you've noticed Neyla's return," he started until he noticed Carmelita's you-knew-about-this expression. "Yes, Neyla has been given another chance because of her most impressive remake."

"What do you mean?" the vixen asked.

"Neyla, true, had betrayed us. However, she did do us a lot of great service when she was working with us. I have decided to give her a second chance on the matter and she will get it. I expect you, Ms. Fox, not to give her any trouble."

Neyla snickered slightly until he turned onto her.

"And, I don't want any nonsense from you either, Ms. Neyla. I may have a forgiving conscience, but one little slip…anything gone wrong with you…you'll be kicked out. Understand?"

The tigress nodded.

"Good, I'm glad that we can renegotiate this whole catastrophe and put the grudge behind us. In the meantime, you are both to help show around a new employee."

"New employee?" Carmelita asked, keeping one eye on Neyla.

"Yes, her name is Rouge. I want you to show her the procedures of this place and do a good job of that. I shall see you."

Walker began to proceed back to his office. Just as he had disappeared from view, a white female bat had appeared in the hallway. She was about half their size and had rather revealing purple attire on. A cigarette hung in her mouth as if she couldn't care less.

"You guys Carmelita and Neyla?" she asked.

Carmelita nodded, automatically not trusting this batgirl at all.

"Would you put that cigarette out, please? There's no smoking in here."

"Stuff it, Fox. I just need to work and handle my new job, so back off!" the batgirl responded suddenly.

"Would you please put it out?" Neyla asked this time.

Rouge looked at Neyla and took it out of her mouth. She crushed the cigarette under one of her pink-tipped white boots.

"See, Carmelita, it's all a manner of asking _nicely_," Neyla said, smiling in that annoying way at the vixen. "Now, Rouge, would you come with me?"

Rouge walked over towards Neyla and into her office shortly after leaving Carmelita in the hallway alone.

_I don't know what Chief Walker saw in that batgirl_, the vixen thought. _If I were the Chief, she'd never make it past the first day._

There were already many concerns in the world and she wasn't putting up with anymore than she could. She went into her office to investigate her case files. In the meantime, keeping an eye out to ensure that Neyla wasn't spying on her.


	4. Recovery and Explanation

**Chapter Four: **Recovery and Explanation

"What happened last night?"

Willard Tanaka opened his eyes and held his hand in front of them to block out the blinding sunlight that made itself present. The surroundings around him had been changed to a room of some kind with a door and window. He felt weary after what had gone on last night…the night that both his parents were killed, his home was destroyed, and an insane killer abducted him and took him to an unknown place. The raccoon was very surprised that he was still alive after all of that.

"He's awake," a voice said.

"Oh, God…I thought the poor guy was dead," another spoke.

Will was scared at this point. He didn't know whom those voices belonged to, but had a bad feeling that they belonged to more people involved with those lunatics he encountered the previous night. He began to panic mentally and was starting to scream slightly inside his mind. Willard Tanaka had barely survived the last experience; he didn't want to have to survive another one.

"Do you think that he's okay?"

"Only one way to find out, let's see him."

_Holy crap_, the young raccoon thought. _They're sending in the reinforcements to check up on me. I'm doomed unless…_

The raccoon tried to get up and found that there was an increasingly powerful surge of pain echoing from his chest. He winced slightly and moved on up, ignoring the pain. If his life were in danger, he would not wait around for the worst to happen.

Will looked around for anything that could be used as a weapon. He found a long metal rod of some kind and grasped it firmly.

"The teenager is in here," another voice said.

Will steadied himself for a possible attack if he had to.

A large figure was opening the door to the room…

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Will yelled, swinging the weapon furiously.

"Whoa…watch it. We're not going to hurt you, kid," The dark figure said.

"Stay back! I don't want anymore of your assaults!" Will yelled some more.

"I told you taking him in was a bad idea, Sly. Now look at this," said the third voice.

Will stopped swinging. There was someone named Sly? Someone here was named Sly? Could it be…?

"Sly Cooper?" Will asked.

"Yes, I'm here. However, I'd like to know how you got a hold of my cane," Sly answered, appearing as his name was spoken.

Will had a confused expression. What did he mean by that? He looked at his hands and realized that he had been swinging the token cane around.

"OH MY GOD! I AM SO SORRY! I DIDN'T REALIZE WHO YOU WERE OR WHAT THIS WAS OR-OH GOOD GOD!"

"Whoa, slow down," Sly consoled, not wanting another ranting to ignite. "It's okay, as long as you didn't destroy my cane. However, I still don't know how it got in here."

"I don't know…" Will stammered slightly. "Maybe it was left here."

"Impossible!" Bentley spoke up, revealing himself. "I don't think that Sly would just leave his stuff lying around." He glared at the younger raccoon.

"What are you looking at me for?" Will asked, noticing the turtle's glare.

"Well…we don't know who you are. You were just found under the arm of an insane-looking wolf. Sly wanted us to stop and handle business."

"What happened to that wolf?"

"We don't know where he went, but we do know that he is part of an organization of thieves." Bentley stated.

"Like yours?" Will answered.

"Of course not! We are thieves who are honorable to the very core. They are a bunch of no-good scoundrels that kill for what they want. We never do that kind of thing."

"Then, who was he working for?" the young raccoon asked impatiently.

"First, we'd like to know why he was attacking you in the first place," the turtle said.

Will didn't know what to say. Even if they were the gang whose leader had inspired him for so long, it was difficult for him to recollect the details of his parents' deaths and the wanting for that amulet…

Wait a minute…

The amulet! Will had almost forgotten that he still somehow possessed on his person. He dug into one of his pockets and found the amulet inside. He brought it out to show them.

"This is why," Will said sternly. "He and a colleague of his wanted this."

"My God!" Bentley said, amazed by its design. "Where did you get it?"

"I found it in an alley. I didn't know it was so important. What is it?"

"I can't quite tell, but it seems like it would be worth a lot. There were two attackers that were after this?"

Willard Tanaka nodded.

"Well, then we have ourselves a case," Sly finally spoke again. He had been listening in on the back and forth conversation between Bentley and Will for a while now.

The Cooper trio were moving out when Will spoke up.

"Mind if I come with?"

"This would be too dangerous for-," Bentley started.

"Why do you want to come?" Sly asked, interrupting his friend.

Will felt embarrassed, but began.

"They killed my parents and destroyed my home when they attacked me. I have nowhere else to go. I figured maybe I could…possibly…"

"Come along, but be prepared."

"You mean it?" Will was flabbergasted.

"Yeah, for this case, we might need any help that comes by. Come along…who are you, anyway?"

Will's heart was racing. Was he going to become a Cooper Gang member?

"My name is Willard Tanaka, but everyone calls me Will," he stated firmly.

"Well, Will…let's get moving," Sly smiled, ignoring Bentley's expression of shock at just letting someone join in. He was often like that.


	5. The Boss

**Chapter Five: **The Boss

A timber wolf waited outside of an old club that had been shut down for years due to technical problems. He had a cigarette in his mouth, sending a light like that of an orange beacon in the night. The wolf was waiting for someone to come back from his run. It had been a whole day since his colleagues Axel Langston and Cameron Broderick had been sent out to kidnap the Tanaka kid. The result of fire and panic was striking him and the others very hard.

Cameron Broderick came up, panting.

"Where is the kid?" the timber wolf asked.

"The…damn…Cooper…Gang…got…in…the…way," Cameron answered between exhausted breaths. He had been running for some time now.

"What?"

"I know, Rod, but I tried…"

"Never mind. Where is Axel?"

"Axel…got caught by the police. He's in their hands now."

The timber wolf swore silently under his breath. Without further ado, Cameron continued with many more details. After the report was over, the wolf proceeded to a nearby phone booth, where he seized the slender black phone with his gray-furred hand. Then, he dialed a number into the phone's system. There were a few moments of ringing before…

"Hello, this is a private line. Please state your name," a cool female voice said.

"This is Roderick O' Donnell. I need to talk to the Boss."

"Oh, Mr. O' Donnell! Sorry to keep you waiting, but the Boss is a bit busy right now and is not taking any calls at this moment."

"This is important!" Roderick yelled into the speaker.

"Okay, Mr. O' Donnell. I'll see what I can do."

The timber wolf was impatient. What the hell could the Boss be doing at this time of night? If he was asleep, Roderick was going to be pissed.

"Very well, Mr. O' Donnell. He is here," that female voice said.

Soon, the cool female voice was replaced by a deep male voice that seemed impatient as much as Roderick O' Donnell was previously.

"What is it?"

"Yes, Boss, this is Roderick. I came to tell you that we have a major problem."

"What is it?" the Boss asked, starting to get bored.

"Axel and Cameron failed to get the kid or the amulet," Roderick said grimly.

"WHAT?"

"Yes, I just spoke to Cameron Broderick a few moments ago. He stated that Axel was beaten by Willard Tanaka and is now in custody of the police. He failed to get the amulet because he claims the Cooper Gang stopped him."

"The Cooper Gang? As in Sly Cooper?"

"Yes. They interfered with the route and took the kid. The amulet was with the kid, so we don't have either one of those things you wanted, Boss."

There was a moment of silence, then…

"I wonder if there's a way that I can launch a bullet through a phone line to blow a certain someone's head off. Care to help me find a way, Roderick?"

"No, no. You scare me, Boss," the wolf answered in a sarcastic-joking tone of voice.

"Then, what else is there? I heard that those idiots started a fire down at the Tanaka house. Is that true what I hear? Also, is it true that Broderick killed William and Marina Tanaka in the process?" the Boss asked, demanding an explanation for all of this.

"Yes, every word is true."

"Very well, then. Report to your other duties."

"Yes, Boss. What about Cameron?"

"Just tie Broderick to a damn fire hydrant of you have to!"

There was a dead silence, followed by a dial tone…

"Cheap bastard," Roderick murmured under his breath.

The wolf left for town.

* * *

A large black panther was sitting in his office. The black robe he wore was bearing the symbol of the bleeding black rose found on Axel Langston earlier by Interpol agents. His eyes were like two blunt limes staring out into space. His mind was in worry. They had missed the kid and the amulet. To make matters worse, the Cooper Gang now had possession of both objects of matter.

He sighed heavily and sat like that. Until a lavender tigress came in.

"Excuse me? They said you wanted to see me?"

"Come in," the panther stated.

A tall, young, and beautiful tigress came in. She had long black hair that fell like a dark waterfall to her waist. Her eyes were like emeralds that showed a shy expression within their pretty forms.

"Larxena, do you know why you're here?"

"No, I do not," the tigress named Larxena stated.

"I need you to help me," the panther said plainly. "I have a job to complete and you are the only I can seem to trust."

"What about the others, Cain-er, I mean, Boss?"

"They all are plotting against me, I can tell. You are a most trustworthy type that I feel most comfortable when present. How long have you been here?"

"A couple days, Boss-Cain-er, Boss."

"Please, Larxena. You don't kave to call me "Boss". That's just what the others have to call me. You are a special case."

Larxena blushed, her cheeks flaring like ruby fireworks. It was unknown until now to anyone that she had a slight crush on the Boss, Cain Connell.

"You're blushing."

"Oh, was I? I am so sorry, it's just I was-," Larxena began when Cain walked over to her and placed a gentle finger on her mouth.

"It's okay, I understand," Cain told her softly, gently placing a soft kiss on her lips. "Are you ready?"

Larxena nodded, thrilled beyond reason. Cain Connell walked back to his desk after she had left, pondering to himself what was to be.

"Watch your back, Cooper. You don't know who you just messed with," he chuckled under his breath as he began to plot.


	6. The Redeemer

**Chapter Six: **The Redeemer

Carmelita was busying herself with the tasks of inspecting each of the documents that she was assigned earlier. That was at least what the others assumed she was doing with her time here at the office. In realty, she was attempting to figure out how Neyla had managed to escape from that fiery destruction of Clockwerk she had gotten herself in. The vixen's head was hurting more than it had been, especially when the Chief called upon her.

"Inspector Fox, I need you to handle a little task for me," he said softly, understanding that the vixen had headaches lately.

"What would that be?" she asked.

"I need you to show another new employee the ropes since Ms. Neyla is already handling Ms. Rouge. He's a little new to this area and not as well acquainted to it as Ms. Rouge. His name is Seth Garrison, and he's outside in the hall right now."

_Great. Probably another two-bit jerk like Rouge_, Carmelita thought. "I will get right on it after I am done here."

She walked out into the hallway and made her way down until she saw a gathering of five or six people. They were yelling ugly taunts and appeared to be kicking something around on the floor. That something was screaming out pleas to cease the kicking session.

"Look at him! He's rolling around like the pathetic loser that he is!"

"The piece of crap tries to fight back!"

"You can't get up! We don't want you to!"

There was a black panther lying on the floor, trying to escape their blows. He had his hands in front of his face to prevent any further kick to that region. The guy didn't look older than eighteen. Carmelita felt outraged that her fellow officers would beat up a new recruit.

"Break it up! Break it up!" she yelled, clearing a path to the panther.

They ended their fun with assaulting the new guy and cleared the way. They weren't afraid of her, but they knew better than to tangle with Carmelita Montoya Fox. After they had left back to their duties, she approached the panther on the floor. He was slightly bleeding in his left temple where a vicious and cruel foot had struck him. With care, she helped the panther up to where he could stand, trying not to hurt him anymore than he already was.

"Are you okay?" she asked him.

The panther looked up at her with eyes that were metaphorical jades. He looked at his savior and then stood up in shock.

"Oh my God, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to stand in your way!"

"It's alright. What happened?"

The panther paused. Then said, "They ganged up on me and starting kicking me down for a few minutes before you came along."

"I see. You are…?"

"Seth Abel Garrison, at any service possible," the panther stated.

_Seth Garrison? As in the guy I'm supposed to show around? _Carmelita thought. _He looks a little young to be involved in here._

"How old are you?" the vixen inquired.

"Eighteen," was the response.

_Eighteen? _

"Yeah, I came to finish what I have started to my redemption."

"Redemption?" she was confused. What did he mean by that?

The panther blushed, feeling humble in the presence of a higher-ranking officer. He looked at her with those jade eyes and spoke.

"Ever heard of Adlai Garrison?"

"Yes, I have. He was a no-good, lowbrow criminal as despicable as they come. He got what he had coming and he deserved to have his existence removed from this earth," Carmelita said with great passion, remembering that it was her that had put the panther thief behind bars and was eventually executed after he was released by an unknown killer.

"He was my father."

Carmelita suddenly felt guilty for that accomplishment.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just…" she began when Seth rose his hand to silence her.

"No, I completely understand you. My father was a criminal and so was my whole family. After what had happened in the past, my brother and I are the only ones left."

"Your brother?"

"Yeah, my twin brother Nathan Gabriel Garrison. He followed up to the family thievery business and I-I was rejected."

"Rejected?"

"Yeah," Seth sadly responded. "I didn't want to become a thief because I knew it was a bad thing to be. A thief breaks the law that we are all meant to follow with no exceptions. My father didn't see it that way and rejected me when I had refused to continue on in his place. My brother took that job."

_That's harsh_, Carmelita thought. _To be rejected when he's doing the right thing._

"I haven't seen Nathan since our father was killed by an unknown murderer. He said that he was going to start up his own organization and there would nothing in comparison. Except for maybe the Cooper Gang, whom I've heard you have problems capturing."

"So, why are you here?"

"I am here to make up for what my ancestors have done over the generations. I want to redeem the Garrison name and myself by becoming an Interpol officer. It is the only way I feel that I can set things straight," Seth said with strength and passion in his young voice.

_Finally, someone who can take this job seriously, _she thought, taking in every word that came from the panther's mouth.

"Well…if only there were more people like you," Carmelita said warmly.

"If it's what I can do to make up a history of crime, then I suppose I am the Redeemer of the Garrison family," Seth smiled.

The vixen returned the smile. She could feel that this was going to be the start of a beautiful friendship…or whatever it was that they said about these types of moments.

"Welcome to Interpol, Seth Garrison," she spoke after a short period of silence. Then she noticed the spot of blood on his left temple.

"You'd better tend to that."

"Yeah," Seth laughed. "I suppose you're right."

He began to walk away when she called out to him.

"You sure you'll be okay?"

"I'll be fine," the panther responded.

She watched him walk away, knowing that maybe this case would be easier now that there was someone she could work with.

_Someone determined, understanding, bold, and cute…_

_Where did that come from? _She thought, wondering why she had thought that.

She soon felt the need to continue with her work.

* * *

Someone was watching…and waiting… 

"Anything?" another figure asked.

"No, not yet," said the first, exposing a very disturbing smile. "He doesn't seem like the type that would be deceived too easily."

"Give it time and they all will," said the other. "He is close to Old Ironsides and he may be useful for getting to her. You never know what may happen."

A certain batgirl nodded and exited with being noticed.


	7. The First Heist

**Chapter Seven: **The First Heist

The Cooper Gang laid low for a while now, ever since Willard Tanaka had entered the van for the first time. The raccoon was overexcited that the Cooper Gang who always had admired was going to help him get revenge on the organization whose agents killed his parents and burned down his house. He was thrilled to learn that the cops in the process of the attempted abduction had caught one of them.

_They destroyed everything_, Will thought, looking over the scenery for a way to get across whatever they were doing. _They killed Mom and Dad and just burned my home down to nothing more than ashes. I know one of them is in police custody, and I am thankful for that. However, that crazy wolf that actually did all the damage is still out there somewhere…_

"Will, you ready?" Sly asked.

"Huh? What? Um…oh yeah," Will replied, realizing that he had not been paying attention to what was going on.

"Well…here's the place," Bentley stated in his usual tone. "This is Gresham Square, the location where member wearing the same robes as the ones that attacked Will were seen. We'll need to send in Sly to investigate the area, just to see precisely _why_ they were here."

"Where do I come in?" Will asked eagerly.

"Well, if you are as good with defense and skills as you claim, this will be an easy task for you. You are going to cover Sly by going ahead and taking out any guards you might encounter along the route. But be warned, there are a lot of guards inside the building as my scanners of the building show."

_Guards? Oh crap_, Will gulped mentally.

This was much to far a step for Will to take, but he had to. He was a Cooper Gang member to serve and help the Gang, not think of his only needs and fears. It was not a good time to be frightened, it was the time to get moving.

"Let's get to it!" Murray said, opening the back doors by a switch.

The back doors flopped open and Sly jumped out into the Center of Gresham Square. He looked around, to ensure that the coast was clear. When he was certain that it was, he signaled to Will to come out. The young raccoon felt his heart beat faster in fear and anticipation, but ignored it when he leapt out into the Center alongside Sly.

"Not bad, you're getting it. I'll help you if you need it," Sly said, noticing the slightly scared expression on Will's face.

They moved quickly across the surface of the cobblestone road that stretched out from the Center to the entrance of Gresham Square. The building was large and looked as though it was completely manufactured from onyx. Its solid walls and smooth shiny black exterior were enough to exceed impression. Even Will, in his moment of fear and nervousness, had to admit that it was a pretty sight to see.

A guard stood by the entrance, twirling a club.

"Don't worry…" Sly said. "We'll take him."

* * *

_"Where the hell are we going?" Cameron Broderick asked impatiently. _

_"Gresham Square, just like the Boss dictated," Roderick O' Donnell said, annoyed by Cameron's question. "We have to counter the Cooper Gang and get the kid."_

_"What about them?"_

_"We'll deal with them after we have the kid. It's hard enough dealing with a self-proclaimed master thief like Cooper."_

_"I get to kill them, right?" Cameron asked as their group came into the backend of the building itself._

_"We will see…" Roderick said._

_A guard, slightly asleep, suddenly woke up when he noticed the group of black-robed individuals walking through the backend of the building._

_"Hey, you! You aren't supposed to be there!" the guard yelled._

_Roderick turned to the guard and grinned, flashing off shiny fangs._

_"Cameron, come here boy," Roderick laughed and snapped his fingers. Cameron obeyed and walked out to Roderick and looked in the guard's direction when he pointed._

_"Sic him, boy."_

_Cameron laughed…and charged._

* * *

"That wasn't so hard," Will said, looking over the guard he had knocked out with a swift blow of his cane that Sly had given him for the task. It was a copy of Sly's, but had its uses every time.

"Go into the main building," Bentley's voice echoed through Sly and Will's earpieces. "There is a clear point that you can investigate for clues of that criminal organization. If my research of the perimeter is right, there should be some kind of vault that those people were suspected of robbing earlier. Go to there, and then we're home free."

"Thanks, Bentley," Sly acknowledged. "Let's get moving, Will."

The young raccoon nodded and pressed forward.

* * *

_"Thanks for that, Rod," Cameron said, wiping the blood off his mouth with the sleeve of his robe. "I really needed that."_

_"Well, it was my pleasure," Roderick replied. "We have to make use of you somehow and this is usually the only way we can."_

_"There any more of them?" Cameron was frantically searching for another prey._

_"Not that I can see. Keep your mind on the objective."_

_"Good point. The Boss would be royally pissed if we didn't carry out the rest of the plan like we are supposed to."_

_"Yes, now let's finish this."_

_"Sir?" another recruit spoke. "We have a location on the vault you wanted to find the other night, Mr. O' Donnell."_

_"Thank you, Jackson," Roderick grinned. "Let's move out!"_

* * *

"Oh good Lord," Will said, noticing a chewed-up corpse of a guard with his throat torn open. "That was just like what happened to Dad."

"_That's_ what happened to your dad?" Sly asked. "Good God, they must also be here." He turned to his bino-cu-com and reported.

"What is it, Sly?" Bentley responded.

"I think those people may be here right now, Bentley. Just a heads up."

"What do you mean by that?"

Sly turned his bino-cu-com to the direction of the corpse.

"Does that help answer your question?" Sly stated.

"Good…lord…you guys better get out of there…before you get caug-."

The bino-cu-com flared and flew from Sly's hands into the floor, where it shattered into several pieces.

"Well…well…well…we finally meet, Sly Cooper."

Both raccoons turned to the position of that voice and saw Roderick O' Donnell, Cameron Broderick, and seven armed reinforces aiming all weapons at them.

"This is a true pleasure, but it will be the last time," Roderick said. "Now, hand over the kid, and maybe we'll let you go free. If not, we'll kill you and take the kid ourselves."

"Never!" Will yelled, charging forward at Roderick.

He was stopped about halfway when two of the others fired their guns. He dove underneath both bullets and slid onto the floor, unscathed.

"Idiots!" Roderick yelled. "You're not supposed to shoot the kid!"

They ignored him and continued firing at the moving raccoon teenager avoiding their shots. Will had never had this many bullets fired at him, but he was going to make sure that it wouldn't be the last time that he'd spend on this earth.

Sly joined in on the fight and swung his cane directly into a member's head, causing the thief to fall backwards. Another turned on the raccoon thief, only to be struck in the chest by the cane that had done so many techniques like that before. A bold third member tried to nail Sly…and succeeded by launching a bullet into the thief's arm.

"SLY!" Will screamed as he saw the thief go down.

"Well…it's the kid with the chew toy father."

Will turned and saw Cameron Broderick coming his way. The raccoon wasn't fast enough and the wolf sank his teeth into Willard Tanaka's arm. The raccoon howled in pain as he felt his own blood flow free and stain the wolf's muzzle. Cameron grinned as he took another bite into Will's arm, making the wound bigger.

"I'm am going to kill you, kid. Prepare to die."

"You idiot! The kid is to be alive!" Roderick's voice bellowed in the distance.

Will felt extremely weak and fell to the floor in a growing puddle of his own blood. He looked up at the wolf over him, smiling as he readied himself for the kill.

The raccoon closed his eyes…

But the kill never came.

Will noticed that Cameron was staggering backwards into the wall. Someone was striking him fiercely and the wolf appeared to be backing off.

"Leave my friend alone, asswipe!" the savior yelled.

Cameron began to retreat and so were the others. Will couldn't see as much because of the loss of blood. He looked up and saw a face of a raccoon-fox like figure looking at him with concern.

"Remember, Will?" the figure asked.

That voice sounded familiar.

"Blake? Blake Montag?" Will asked weakly.

"The one and only…now let's get you some help," Blake responded.


	8. A Childhood Friend

**Chapter Eight: **A Childhood Friend

The last thing he remembered before passing out was the recollection that his childhood friend was the one that saved him from being killed. That friend was Blake Montag, a raccoon-fox crossbreed Will had once met in Russia on a long vacation while William Tanaka handled business with a client. Was it possible that, somehow, his old friend had found him once more after so many years?

_"Remember, Will?"_

_"Blake? Blake Montag?"_

_"The one and only…now let's get you some help."_

That was the last thing he had heard before he blacked out by the loss of blood. He was royally weak and was painfully enduring the slow recovery afterwards. Willard Tanaka had gone through two near-death experiences, both involving that crazy bastard wolf. Then, Sly was…

Sly! Will had forgotten about him.

"Good God!" Will yelled, suddenly waking up. "What happened to Sly?"

"Don't worry, I'm fine."

He turned and saw Sly standing in the corner with a large patch on his arm.

"Your friend really is helpful," Sly said.

"What happened?" Will asked.

"I'll answer that," a voice stated.

Will turned and saw none other than Blake Montag.

"You were being ambushed by that jackass, I couldn't just let you die. I charged in, striking one of those guards in the back of the head. Then, I took out a couple others when some gray wolf started yelling to retreat. That one wolf was still biting you, so I gave that asshole a quick blow from my staff. He backed off then, but there was still you lying in a bloody mess on the floor.

"I saw who you were and talked to you, remember?"

Will nodded.

"Anyway, you were lying there when I saw Sly Cooper in another corner. I didn't know what you were doing with him, but I knew that you needed help fast. With that said and done, I managed to drag you both outside. This hippo came up, asking what I was doing with you two. I explained, then we got the hell out of there."

"So, why are you here?" Will asked.

Blake stopped and the crossbreed shut his mouth.

"Did I say something wrong?" Will inquired, not wanting to insult his old friend.

"No…it's just…I heard what happened to your parents and your house."

"Yeah, but what does that…" Will started, then stopped. He suddenly realized what Blake had meant by that remark.

"They did that to you too, didn't they?"

"Yeah, they wanted to know where you were for some reason," the raccoon-fox said. "They kept demanding your location and I wouldn't give it to them. They shot both of my parents and torched my place down. I was already running away like a damn coward. I was such a coward!" Blake grunted, small tears trailing down his face in little brooks.

Will Tanaka could see that he and his friend were in the same boat and felt sympathy for Blake. He felt that pain of loss at the hands of these criminals.

"You're not alone," Will said, trying to comfort his friend. "That happened to me also."

"I know, but…I didn't have to run away! I could have saved them!"

"You saved us," Sly said, after listening in on their conversation for a while now. "That really benefited our cause and you proved yourself to be of great help. We could use people like that."

"What are you saying?" Blake looked up at him.

"I'm saying that you would make a good Cooper Gang member if you wanted to be."

"Do really mean that?" the crossbreed began to get excited.

"Yes, I do," Sly said.

* * *

Later, the two of them were walking in the road, giving Sly time to cool down a rather irritated Bentley. The turtle was rather annoyed that Sly was just letting people they hardly knew into the Gang and not consulting him or Murray first. Murray was cool with it, but the turtle was just so stubborn sometimes.

"Do you think he'll ever give in?" Blake asked Will.

"Not a chance. Sly is way better at arguing than Bentley could ever hope to be."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

"Aren't I always?"

"No, not always…"

"When have I ever been wrong?" the raccoon asked, supposedly shocked.

"There was the time that you said that we could make a fort in your dad's bedroom and you were wrong. There was the time that you said that we could switch places by thinking about it and you were wrong. There was the time…" Blake trailed off.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right."

The two of them came across a bar/club that was always open at this time of night. Will had heard of it before, but never was able to even take a peek beyond that of the windows displaying the interior at a poor rate.

There were three police cars parked in front of the place.

"I wonder what those are doing there?" Blake thought aloud.

"Maybe…" Will had a grin coming on his face. "We should investigate."

"Just like old times…" Blake laughed as the two ran forth towards the alley behind the club. It was like walking into childhood again.


	9. Reinforcements

**Chapter Nine: **Reinforcements

Three dogs were present at the Club that night, each with an on-the-house Ocean martini in hand. Of them, there was a Golden Retriever accompanied by A German Shepard and a rather silent Siberian Husky. The Husky was just sitting in the corner, not speaking to anyone and unnoticed by the other two who were in deep conversation. He just sat there, looking at the grape that floated lifelessly in his martini glass with little interest.

"What exactly is this case all about?" the German Shepard asked, fishing for the grape in his glass with a toothpick. "The Los Angeles Police Department doesn't just let anyone move on to Paris for nothing."

"We were summoned here by the Chief of the Parisian police force by their Chief Walker," the Golden Retriever answered. "According to the police records, there are a dangerous group of individuals that they want us to help apprehend. There have been several murders in the area, all evidenced by a trail of mutilated corpses found leading away from the Gresham Square. As well as guards killed; there have also been a small number of citizens who have been murdered as well."

He took a breath and a drink form his glass.

"So, we're here to help the local Parisian Inspector with that case. I am assured that the three of us are going to see to the end of these horrid murders," the Golden Retriever concluded.

The German Shepard looked at the Golden Retriever, acknowledging the facts that he had been given. He had much to agree with the partner here. He also looked to the Siberian Husky, who hadn't even made so much as a comment since they had arrived in Paris.

"I don't know what his problem is," the German Shepard told the Golden Retriever. "He hasn't said a thing since we got here."

"Don't give him a hard time, Curtis," the Golden Retriever scolded.

"What?" Curtis the German Shepard asked innocently.

* * *

Carmelita had arrived in her own vehicle at the entrance to the Ocean View Club, where she was to meet with the reinforcement Inspectors. Seth Garrison was accompanying her for this case on her orders.

"Sorry," she said to the panther. "There is a twenty-one and over regulation for this Club. You won't be able to come in."

"It's alright, I'm used to it," Seth smiled, and then turned serious. "Are you sure they're even in there?"

"The Chief said that they were to meet me at the Ocean View Club, and that is where they are to meet me," the vixen answered sternly. "Besides, there are three cars out here in the parking lot that I would assume to be theirs. Seth, stay out here with the car and watch for any suspicious activity. Take my shock pistol, just in case."

She took the yellow gun that had been in her back holster for quite some time and handed it to the panther. He took it in his hands and seemed to be extremely fascinated by its design and texture.

"I've always wanted one of these," he murmured.

The vixen then proceeded into the Club without further hesitation or business. She didn't feel comfortable about entering this place, but knew that she had to.

Seth, in the meantime, was standing by Carmelita's vehicle on guard. He was dangling the shock pistol in his hands, wondering what it was like to fire the majestic weapon.

"Whoa, I didn't think that redeeming my family and myself would have so many rewards," Seth commented under his breath.

He froze when he sensed something immediately. Seth turned around and saw two shadowy figures running across the street to the Club. They didn't seem like any ordinary citizens ether.

"_FREEZE!_" he yelled, charging after them.

* * *

Carmelita had never been into this Club before, so the surroundings were completely new to her. There were several people here and there, getting drunk and talking of topics that she could less care about. The vixen still couldn't understand why the Chief wanted the reinforcement Inspectors to meet her here. Maybe it was to make a low profile, or something related to that.

She looked at the bar counter and noticed that there were three dogs in Inspector's uniforms. Two of them were in conversation, while the third was just sitting there quietly.

"I'm telling you what I heard," Curtis the German Shepard said. "The Inspector of this region is a real _babe_. Can't you believe that, Russell?"

"No, Curtis. That would be asinine to hire someone for the task force just because they're appealing to the eye. Besides, we really shouldn't be thinking of these factors when we have a case to attend to."

"Come on," Curtis continued. "I bet you twenty dollars that the Inspector here is a complete hottie."

"This is pointless, Curtis," Russell the Golden Retriever stated. "But, since I could use the money and prove you wrong, I will partake in your little wager."

"Deal! Ooh, check her out!" Curtis said excitedly.

He was referring to Carmelita, who was coming towards them.

"Excuse me," she asked them. "Are you the Inspectors sent her for the case?"

"You owe me twenty bucks," Curtis whispered into Russell's ear.

"Shut up," Russell said to him, then turned to Carmelita. "I am Russell Lamar, NYPD Inspector for three years. I will continue the job without hesitation."

"Nice to meet you, Russell. And you?"

"Curtis Montego," the German Shepard announced. "LAPD employee and two-and-a-half years running as Inspector."

Carmelita seemed to notice that Curtis was wearing little purple sunglasses.

"Oh, don't mind those," he laughed. "I wear them to show my individuality, my trademark, if you will. Underneath the fun-looking exterior is a hard worker, rest assured."

"Very good," she acknowledged. "And you?"

For the first time since he got here, the Siberian Husky turned to someone. He blushed at the sight of her and turned away.

"Ben? Benjamin Cole?" she asked, somewhat recognizing him.

The Husky shyly turned back to her. "Yes, it's me," he spoke for the first time in what seemed like ages.

"Oh my God, Ben! It's been so long!" she went to sit next to him.

He blushed even more. "Yeah, I'm sure it has been a while."

"Yes, it has been. I didn't think I'd see you again after all those years ago in Spain."

"Yes, I thought the same," the Husky replied.

"You know her?" Curtis asked.

"Yeah," Benjamin Cole spoke. "I met her in Spain a few years back when our fathers met each other in a negotiation of Interpol affairs. She was Guillermo Fox's daughter and I was Nicholas Cole's son. We met in a waiting room and we soon became the closest of friends after a while of looking at each other, wondering about the other."

"Yes, I remember that well, _mi amigo_," Carmelita said.

"We do have the matter of the criminal organization to discuss. Shall we continue this conversation later on?" Russell stated.

"Yeah, I think we'd better do that-," Ben started when a window shattered near them.

"What the hell?" Curtis cried out.

* * *

"_FREEZE!_" the panther yelled, firing one shot.

Seth had never felt so much adrenaline running through his body at such a pace. When he noticed the suspicious individuals heading for the back of the Club, he knew something was up.

Will wasn't paying much attention when the shot flew by his head. The instinctive dodge flex that Sly had taught him earlier proved to be sufficient enough that he was able to avoid getting struck by the ball of electricity.

"Hold your hands up and stop where I can see you!"

Will and Blake turned to see a very pissed off panther carrying a shock pistol.

"You two are under arrest!" the panther yelled.

"On what charge?" Blake boldly asked.

"For suspicious activity, that's what! Now, hold still!"

The panther fired the shot that would shatter a window due to Willard Tanaka's fast reflexes. Within, one of the reinforcement Inspectors would hear it.

"Hold still, damn it!" the panther screamed, firing more rounds.

"Why is he attacking us?" Blake asked Will in the run.

"He must be one of those Interpol cronies," Will answered his friend. "I could tell by the shock pistol he's carrying. He must be working with one Inspector Carmelita Montoya Fox by the looks of the weapon he's packing."

The two of them were going full speed now. Blake was about to climb a fire escape when the panther managed to fire a shot that nailed the raccoon-fox in the leg. He howled in pain when he was struck and collapsed on the ground. Will stopped and turned to help his fallen friend when a ball of electricity nearly smacked the top of his head.

"Freeze!" the panther was still screaming.

"What the hell is wrong with you people?" Will yelled, noticing how serious the wound on Blake's leg.

The raccoon charged the panther straight on. Before the panther could respond, Will slammed his cane into Seth's skull. The panther flew backwards onto the ground, his weapon falling from his grasp. Will continued to strike until Seth was slightly bleeding in the face.

"How…dare…you…attack…my-!" he screamed.

"Will, it's not worth killing him," Blake said, getting up weakly. "He may be with the cops, but he is not the true enemy here. Come on, we must leave."

Will looked back at the panther and went to his friend. They left together.

"Seth?" a female voice was calling. "Seth, what happened? Are you alright?"

Carmelita, Curtis, Ben, and Russell were heading into the side alley where Seth was laying there, bleeding.

"Oh my God," Carmelita cried, coming to kneel beside him. "Who did this to you?"

"It was the…Tanaka kid," Seth answered weakly.


	10. The Blind Leopard

**Chapter Ten: **The Blind Leopard

"Find anyone yet?"

"Not yet, but don't push me." Rouge responded angrily. "That isn't so grateful for the one that pulled you out of that fire that night. Or did you forget?"

Neyla swore under her breath. She couldn't forget that moment. She was floating in the water, nearly crushed to death underneath the wreckage of what was formally Clockwerk. The tigress had made a world-domination attempt that was foiled by the Cooper Gang. She swore vengeance upon those who had done harm to her and caused Neyla to fail.

Rouge had become involved when she had seen Neyla floating in the water. Unseen by anyone else, she managed to get her out of there. Neyla was grateful to be alive, but had one thing on her mind: vengeance. It was that feeling of hatred that had kept her alive in the icy water for so long and revived her struggle to live. The two were both in similar cases, both criminals wanting revenge on Interpol for different reasons. For Rouge, it was a matter of that they had given her enough problems and stopped her from completing her former job.

For this plan, it would take great cunning. Both of them had that, but they needed something else more for this job to work.

They needed a patsy.

In order to overcome Interpol and get the revenge they both wanted, they needed someone they could manipulate to do the dirty work and get blamed for it. The patsy had to be one of the new recruits and one that could be fooled easily. If the patsy was to catch on, it would ruin the entire plan.

But who would it be?

"We need to find someone quick," Neyla stated. "If we are to carry out the plan as we want, we'll need to find one of the new recruits that will work for us, no question."

"Well, that Garrison kid didn't work out," Rouge said woefully. "That panther is much too loyal to Old Ironsides to work for us."

"There must be someone we can use," Neyla growled. "But who?"

She looked at the options she had and caught a leopard looking at her. He blushed, realizing he had been caught, and fled for cover. Neyla grinned slightly, thinking she had finally found that person.

* * *

Ezekiel Dawson had begun his job at Interpol a day after Seth and Rouge had appeared on the scene. He was a tawny leopard with heart-melting blue eyes and slightly muscle-bound skin. He was getting his application at Chief Walker's office, when he noticed her standing in the hallway.

"Ezekiel, this is an impressive display of talent I've ever seen. I would be obliged to have you here as one of our employees. This is…Mr. Dawson…are you listening to me?"

"What?" the leopard said, realizing that he had been caught looking out at this lavender tigress in the hallway. His heart was beating heavily in his chest and he felt lighter than air. The mind of Ezekiel Dawson, a.k.a. "Zeke", was strongly focused on her. It was love at first sight.

"You were paying attention, right?" Chief walker asked.

"Uh…oh yeah. I have decided to join Interpol because of what I believe is right is the apprehension of wrongdoers. Justice is a number one priority."

"Very good, Mr. Dawson. Shall we continue?"

"We shall, but call me Zeke from now on, okay?"

"Very well, Zeke," Chief Walker stated. "You may go down to the registration office for the final test."

Zeke did so, and on the way back, he found himself staring at Neyla. He was amazed and obsessed with her beauty and her grace, her presence sending a pleasant chill up his spine and beyond. The tigress was all he was thinking about, until she caught him looking at her.

The leopard was so embarrassed. How could he be so stupid, staring at a coworker with a lust to feel her in his arms? Where did these thoughts come from? Why was he thinking like such an idiot? He was a love blind sucker, making him a fool.

"Yeah, you can try, boy," another officer said.

"Good luck, newbie. You'll need it."

"Nice try, idiot!"

"Shut up!" the love blind leopard yelled at them, covering his ears. He was walking down to the Chief's office when she stood in his way.

He looked up and his face was like a fire of awkwardness. The leopard was standing in front of the woman he desired.

"I'm sorry. Did it get in your way?" he apologized.

"Don't worry about it," Neyla laughed, starting to put on her seductive charm. The leopard looked at her with disbelief as she came at him…close.

"You must be new here," she said, breathing on his face. "I'd like to personally welcome you myself. I am Neyla, and you are…?"

"Zeke Dawson," the leopard breathed, finally finding his lost voce.

"Zeke? I like that name. It really fits your handsome body," she advanced on him, placing her hand on his cheek and stroking it lightly. He found himself with many options, but ignored all of them.

"Uh…thanks?" he stammered nervously.

"Would you like to help with a little case of mine? I really need some help, and you look like a guy who's really strong. Are you up for it?"

"Uh…um…yes!" he said, trying find the right word.

"Good," she murmured. "Do not disappoint me."

"I-I won't let you down," Zeke spoke, still nervous by how close they were.

"Good boy, I can see this may work out," Neyla said, tenderly placing a small kiss on the leopard's mouth. "I will see you shortly."

The leopard was shocked, but did what he had to. He managed to snap out of that trance of his and continue walking to the Chief's office.

Rouge came up to Neyla.

"Did you find someone?" the batgirl asked her.

"Oh yes…someone I have wrapped around my finger," the tigress laughed. She and Rouge both walked away to plan out further tasks to complete.


	11. The Outsiders

**Chapter Eleven: **The Outsiders

"Where have you two been?"

Will and Blake were returning to the base, trying to get in unnoticed. Unfortunately for them, Bentley had a keen eye for the two.

"Where have you two been this whole time? You look like you've gotten into a fight with someone!" the turtle ranted.

"Calm down, Bentley. We only left to investigate the Ocean View Club," Will said defensively.

"And _why_ were you there?"

"To get info on the cops," Blake spoke up, applying an icepack to his swollen leg. "They've hired some reinforcements to help them with the case of that organization that tried to kill Will earlier."

"Who are these people?" Murray asked, wanting to know more.

"Well, there's this German Shepard named Curtis Montego, a Golden Retriever named Russell Lamar, and a Siberian Husky named Benjamin Cole," Blake reported.

"And it appears that Cole is an old friend of your "girlfriend", Sly," Will finished.

"Yeah, I've heard of Benjamin Cole before," Sly said. "He's from the Alaskan force and once nailed several gangs within one week. Or so I've heard."

"Wow, that's pretty impressive for a cop," Murray commented.

"Oh, this is terrible!" Bentley moaned. "With these new and experienced reinforcements involved with Interpol, we'll have a harder time dealing with our own problems. By the way, what happened to Blake's leg?"

"Oh, a panther cop shot me in the leg with a shock pistol," the crossbreed explained.

"A panther with a shock pistol, now I've heard everything," Sly laughed.

"This is serious, Sly! With these new people on the force, we're going to have more problems with the mission!"

"Yeah, I'm sure we will. Bentley, all we need to do is find more people that will be our allies and that will be that."

"And _how_ are we going to do that, Sly? Do you have a plan?"

"Hey, I'm not the strategist here," Sly laughed. "We just need to think of something as we go."

This confused Will, what did they mean by "allies"? Were there other thieves that would be in allegiance with the Cooper Gang? Or was this all just a plan to help keep the unwanted from happening? Blake was still slightly hurt by the shock pistol wound, but was able to walk better no than earlier. He turned to his friend and saw his expression.

"It'll get better, Will. Just give it some time."

"Yeah, Blake. We could go scouting for allies."

"Yeah, the two of us on the road again…"

"I don't think so!" Bentley said. "You two have already caused enough problems without having to create any more. Besides, the last time you went out, you were attacked."

"Come on, Bentley. I can do better this time. Blake's wound is healing and we should be fine out there now. There's no cops or anything."

"Better them than you, Bentley," Sly said. "Think about that."

Bentley didn't know what to say to counteract that. He said nothing and the two teenagers were ready to go forth with seeking out allies.

Will had barely stepped out the door when a figure arrived at the scene.

"Tanaka!" the figure yelled before striking Will backwards to the floor.

The other prepared to attack when the figure burst into the domain. It was a rather large dingo that growled viciously at all of them. He wore a black robe with the bleeding black rose insignia.

"GIVE ME THE TANAKA KID!" the dingo roared.

The dingo swung its fists into Blake, who went flying into the other corner. He did the same to Bentley and Murray, who charged from the other side. The beast turned to Sly.

"WHERE'S THE TANAKA KID?" the beast bellowed once more.

"You are not going to get him!" Sly yelled defiantly.

"INSOLENT FOOL! YOU DARE STAND IN THE WAY OF THE REBORN? YOU SHALL BE CRUSHED BY THE POWER OF MY MIGHTY BLOW! SAY GOODNIGHT FOR THE LAST TIME!"

The dingo charged at the raccoon thief, but didn't get to him before…

"Nail him, David!" a voice shouted from outside.

A medium-sized projectile flew through the opening and struck the dingo from behind the head. The beast turned on the ones outside that had launched the blunt rock at his head and roared in anger.

"YOU DARE MESS WITH THE REBORN? I SHALL MAKE YOU PAY!"

"Yeah…yeah…we've heard that before," said the same voice again before another projectile flew into the dingo's face. The beast collapsed into a heap, blood slightly trickling from his forehead.

"Yes! You did it, David!" that same voice said once more.

"I always do," said an accompanying deep voice.

There were three cheetahs that didn't look older than eighteen. Out of the three, there was one thin, one suave, and one slightly muscle-bound. The three of them were looking over the fallen attacker with looks of victory upon their faces.

"Pity, I was expecting more from a big bastard like him," the suave cheetah said.

"Corey, we were to knock him out. The job was not to toy with the enemy. Nathan said that we were to do just that," the thin cheetah protested against the other's remark.

"For God sakes, Caleb," the muscle-bound one responded. "Nathan says a lot of things. You can't always be going by the book for these things."

"You tell him, David! By the way, sweet shot with that rock. It completely knocked this piece of idiot crap out."

"Ahem," Sly said.

The three cheetahs turned to him and each of their eyes went into shock.

"Oh my God, it's Sly Cooper!" the suave one named Corey stated. "Well, I'll be damned if it isn't the Master Thief himself."

"My, what an honor," the thin one named Caleb said. "It is a great pleasure to meet the true King of Thieves. We have been greatly informed of your escapes and escapades from our leader Nathan."

"You dumb-ass!" the muscle-bound one named David growled. "You can't be just saying anything to anyone just because they're who you think they are!"

"Well…_SORRY_," Caleb responded sarcastically.

Will had gotten up by this time and noticed that there were three cheetahs in the room right now. His first instinct was to knock them all out, but that instinct died when he saw that they were the ones that had taken out the attacker. He looked at them with great interest.

"So, Mr. Cooper," Caleb spoke again. "Why was there a dingo attacking you?"

"Because his group is after me," Will said boldly.

The three cheetahs turned to him.

"Good God! I thought it said that you died!" Caleb spoke. "The papers said that you were most likely dead because of that attack on your house!"

"No, they failed to kill me," the young raccoon stated. "They wanted something from me, but don't want to kill me first."

"Boy, that sounds harsh."

Caleb, Corey, and David turned to the doorway where a tall black panther stood. He looked at them all with jade eyes that reflected the lights in the room.

"YOU!" Will yelled. "You attacked Blake and me that night at the Ocean View Club!"

The panther laughed.

"No, you probably met my brother Seth. That poor bastard," the panther chuckled. "He thinks so much of those Interpol cronies that he became one of them."

"Nathan!" Caleb said, trying to get the panther's attention. "We knocked out the attacker here. He was coming after Mr. Tanaka over there."

Nathan looked over at Will.

"So, you're what those people are after. I didn't think that they would waste their time to mess around with an innocent person like you."

"Who are they?" Will asked. He felt that Nathan knew.

"They call themselves the Reborn. They are an organization of criminals hell-bent on conquer and robbery. Dishonorable thieves, that's what they are. They have no honor, no moral like Sly Cooper and myself here. What they want from you must be something crucial to their operations. Do you know what that may be?"

Will took the amulet he had long kept in his side pocket of his jeans.

"That's what they're after? It must have some sort of power for them to want it so badly that they would kill your parents and try to take you. That makes more sense now."

"Who are you guys anyway?" asked a rising Bentley.

"We are the Outsiders, a small group of teens working to solve this case…" Nathan said proudly. "…And obtain a few honorable collections here and there as we do it. There are more of us outside Paris that are willing to put these Reborn nutcases back in the prisons most of them started at."

"We are doing the same," Will said.

"Getting revenge, I take it?"

"Yes, it is. Will you help us?"

Sly looked at Willard Tanaka with great surprise. He didn't actually expect him to be so outgoing to these strangers. In another way, he was proud.

"Yes, we will. The Outsiders offer every resource we can supply."

"Are you sure about this?" Bentley was getting a tad bit worried. "We're dealing with crazy, homicidal maniacs that will stop at nothing to kill us all and everyone else."

"That is any different from the past, how?" Sly asked.

Bentley couldn't respond to that.

"You sure about this, Nathan?" Caleb asked. "Can we really trust them?"

"You have the honor of the Cooper clan that you can trust us," Sly stated proudly.

"Then we have a deal," Nathan answered. "Our business is your business, and vice versa. We shall not fight this war alone."

"Looks like I found allies," Will said to Bentley. "We're going to need them."

"We can't just stand around here all day," Corey spoke up. "There are cops coming here right now!"

"Right," Nathan responded. "We shall continue this elsewhere."

With that, they disappeared into the night.

Shortly afterwards, so did the Cooper Gang.


	12. An Invitation

**Chapter Twelve: **An Invitation

"Are you sure it was the Tanaka kid?" Carmelita asked Seth as she applied bandages to the wounds he attained the previous night.

"Positive," Seth said, wincing slightly as she placed some disinfectant to the severe wound above his head. "It sure wasn't Cooper, I'll tell you that much."

"That makes no sense, why would he do that?" Carmelita said as she finished applying bandages to her partner's wounds. "Was he with anyone suspicious?"

"Yeah, there was a…um…I can't really describe what was with him. It looked like a crossbreed of some kind."

"What did it look like?" the vixen asked him.

"Well…pardon me for the description…it looked like if you and Cooper had a son."

"A raccoon-fox crossbreed?" she asked.

Seth nodded. "I managed to nail him in the leg when I was struck in the head by the Tanaka kid. He ambushed me, yelling something about his friend with some sort of cane."

"A cane?"

"Yeah, a cane," the panther responded.

The vixen took that information in and concluded that there was only one answer.

* * *

A small white letter came in the mail in the Interpol office. The pretty vixen secretary had picked it up and was transferring it to the office where the three Inspectors from different regions were waiting for later reports.

"Letter for you, Mr. Cole," the secretary spoke, blushing at the sight of Ben.

"Thanks," he replied bluntly.

"No, it was my pleasure," the secretary said, winking at him.

"My God, I've got a fan club," the Husky said after she had left.

"You're not alone," Russell spoke up. "I had two vixens and a collie asking me out for lunch earlier today. "It seems like this place became the Playboy Mansion for women ever since we got here."

"Yeah, I can agree," Ben said, looking over the letter. His eyes widened as he neared the bottom of the letter.

"What happened? Did you read something weird?"

"Um…it's nothing!" Ben yelled, trying to hide the letter.

"Ooh," Russell teased. "It seems like you got a love letter or something."

"No, I didn't. It's nothing like I said."

"Let me see," the Golden Retriever tried to grab a hold of the letter. The Husky however, was trying everything to keep from doing so. Eventually, Russell won out and scanned the letter.

Dear, Mr. Benjamin Cole,

It has come to my attention that you have been selected for a free formal dinner at my restaurant _Beyond the Sunset_ for a night of passion and exquisite atmosphere. I will personally accompany you in the festivities on Saturday for the occasion at nine o' clock sharp.

Cain Connell

P.S. Please bring a lady friend, for it is a couples' night out.

"Ooh, I think someone's getting ideas," Russell teased some more.

"No, I'm not!" Ben protested.

"Look, Ben, I know you like Carmelita."

"How would you know that?" the Husky was shocked.

"Well, for one, your face always blushes when she is around and you always seem to

stammering when you're in her presence. It's pretty obvious, Ben."

"You won't tell her, will you?"

"Of course not, but I think this may be the opportunity for a romantic date with her at this _Beyond the Sunset_. You could invite her, as it says 'please bring a lady friend'. This could be your chance!"

"I'm not going to do that! It's asinine and pathetic!" Ben stated. "Besides, why would she want to go with me in the first place?"

"You're her best friend. Just take her to it."

"No, destroy that letter," the Husky said firmly. "Don't you be telling her any of this nonsense, got it?"

"Of course," Russell smirked. "You can trust me."

Ben left the room just as Curtis had entered.

"What's his problem?" Curtis was confused.

"Oh, it's nothing. Could you give this Carmelita for me?"

"Sure, I guess," the German Shepard took the letter, unaware of what its contents were inside.

_You'll thank me later, Benjamin_, Russell thought.

* * *

Ben was walking by Carmelita's office when she heard him call for him.

"Ben, could you come in here, please?"

"Yes?" he answered.

"What is this?" she asked him, holding up a very familiar looking letter.

_Oh crap!_ The Husky thought.

"Um…well…it is…uh…" he was losing words out of embarrassment.

"Yeah, Curtis handed this to me earlier. He said that it was sent to me from you."

"Russell!" Ben yelled angrily.

The Golden Retriever appeared. "You called?"

"I told you to get rid of that letter! What in the hell possessed you to tell her?"

"Hey, you said _I _wasn't supposed to tell her. You didn't say anything about Curt."

"You ass! This is embarrassing! How could you-?"

"I'll go with you," Carmelita spoke up.

Ben turned to her in shock. "What do you mean?"

"Well, the invitation does say bring a lady friend, and I figure I could use a night off. And who better to spend it with than my friend I haven't seen in ages."

Ben was speechless. She was going out with him?

"You can thank me later," Russell laughed, leaving the room.


	13. An Unwanted Encounter

**Chapter Thirteen: **An Unwanted Encounter

Benjamin Cole was worried that night. His mind had been in total jeopardy since yesterday when he had received the invitation about being invited to that fancy and romantic restaurant _Beyond the Sunset_ that he had read about in the papers. It was of a great Parisian Romance ambience and very pricey. Anyone that was selected for a free dinner for two would be considered very lucky and worthy. To Ben, it was a state of panic.

The vixen he had a deep crush on was going out with him to the occasion. She said that she could use a night off and spend it with her friend. He was sweating bullets since that moment, wondering what kind of consequences might occur if he screwed up big. This was a sort of date, wasn't it?

His mind was set on panic and he tried to silence the screaming insanities that tried to escape him. Ben told himself that it was just a dinner…in a very passionate setting. He would be lucky if he didn't mess up, because he had a strong feeling in his gut that he would mess up big time in front of the woman he loved. What would she think if he somehow slipped it to her that he cared? Sure, they were friends, but a seven-year crush isn't something someone can quickly accept. He was pretty sure that she might freak out or something if he somehow let it slip to her that he was in love with her.

The Husky looked over the tuxedo he had rented for the occasion with concern. Was he presentable enough to be accepted into the special dinner he had been informed about by this Cain Connell person? Was it good enough for the dinner? Was it good enough for _her_?

_Stop worrying, or you'll have a heart attack_, he thought. _It's just like Russell said, it's your chance to finally go out with the woman of your dreams. Stop all these useless worries and get going! You can't stand around here all day!_

"Right, time to move," the Husky said.

He heard the doorbell ring and went to the door. Ben opened it to see a most welcoming sight. There was Carmelita dressed in a most appealing black dress that really made her look more beautiful by the minute. She smiled at him, looking over the suit he was wearing.

"Oh my…you look…great," Ben stammered, his face slightly aflame.

"And you don't look bad yourself," the vixen said to the Husky, who was still eyeing her. "Come on, it said nine o' clock sharp. We're going to be late."

"Of course," he responded, her image still alive in his mind.

The two of them proceeded outside of Ben's apartment, unnoticing what was coming for them. Ben turned around to lock his apartment door and felt his whole body tingling with stimulation.

* * *

_Cameron begged for another turn at manslaughter. The guards the other night were pretty satisfying, but this killer craved more to murder. _

"_Redrum," Cameron chanted softly to himself. "Redrum, redrum, redrum means murder! Redrum means murder!" _

"_Shut up, Cameron!" Roderick growled at him. "It's already bad enough that we've lost Langston and that dingo Basque, but you honestly can't keep up this crap any longer! We can't your constant chanting everyday and every night. If you really have that bloodthirsty need, then we will find a source and a cure for it!"_

"_Oh please do!" Cameron begged pathetically. "I truly need the feeling of blood and torn flesh in my mouth. I desire to know that simple joy of killing just for the hellish pleasure of the act itself! My bloodlust has no capacity and I always enjoy a good kill whether it is by my fangs or the weapon I may carry. It is who I am and what I always shall be!"_

"_Fine, that is all we need to know."_

_Roderick sighed. Why Cain Connell, the Boss of the entire Reborn group hired this homicidal lunatic was beyond him. Perhaps it was for combat and murder situations, or because the Boss himself was afraid. Yes, the Boss was afraid of everyone, except for that lavender tigress he seduced. What's her name? Lorena? Loretta? Larlena? Larxena? It didn't matter, because Roderick already had a plan for such an event. He knew that the Boss didn't trust them because he feared a mutiny or an overthrowing. The wolf grinned at the vision of him usurping that bastard Cain Connell's position, as he often felt that it was rightfully his. _

_Then he noticed an odd couple heading down the road together to a vehicle parked alongside the sidewalk._

"_Oh, Cameron," Roderick said._

"_Yes, Chief?" the lunatic wolf answered._

"_See that couple down there? The vixen is Inspector Carmelita Montoya Fox, who has caused us problems in the past as well as other groups. I want you to take your bloodthirsty needs out on her, okay?"_

"_What about the Husky with her?"_

"_Do whatever you want as long as you kill Inspector Fox."_

"_Yes, my master," Cameron said in a disturbing voice as he fled to the street from the hiding place above. "I will fill the need! I need because I kill! I kill because I can! I KILL, THEREFORE I AM!"_

_Cameron Broderick leapt from the building he was hiding upon to the pavement where he positioned himself for the kill._

* * *

Benjamin Cole had never been more uncomfortable in his life than he did now. Even facing down infamous and notorious gang lords was nothing compared to what he was facing right now. He didn't know the first thing about dating, nor did he learn much as he grew up. Despite his physical appearance that made him the admiration of many women back in his homeland, he was mostly a loner and had never gone out once. That was what had happened most of his life either way.

"Are you okay, Ben? You're sweating a lot," Carmelita asked him.

"Am I?" he said, embarrassed beyond reason. "I'm sorry…it's just that I've never…dated anyone before. It's always been a lonely life for me."

"Since when was this a date?" Carmelita looked at him. "We're just going as friends, Ben. Don't get so worried about this."

"Yeah, you're right."

The Husky's heart sank when she said that last remark. Did she not feel the same way about him as he did about her? Of course she didn't. What was he hoping for anyway?

He was about to open the door of Carmelita's vehicle when there was a cry from the road.

* * *

_Cameron Broderick began to laugh insanely as he did before from time to time. He saw the vixen and became slightly aroused by that dress she was wearing. He felt an urge to grope her before he killed her. In his sick little mind, that's what he was planning to do. He and his concealed 9mm even Roderick didn't know about would handle the job._

_The wolf saw the Husky opening a door to a very nice car. He knew that even though he was swift, he couldn't run fast enough to catch a car._

_He charged with the war cry of "I KILL, THEREFORE I AM!"_

* * *

Ben noticed there was someone coming when he threw himself on Carmelita to protect her from the coming barrage of bullets that flew like mad when they rained down on the windshield. Glass flew around the vicinity like a shower of little sharp diamonds.

"Ben, what are you doing-_OOF_!" Carmelita cried out when he threw her down.

"Get down!" was his reply.

There were more bullets flying until there was a clicking sound that signaled there was no more ammunition to be launched. Ben thought it was okay now after a few moments to get back up and off of the vixen.

He was wrong.

"Die, assholes of the Law!" Cameron yelled as he dived his fist into Ben's chest.

The Husky flew backwards onto the pavement. Carmelita, realizing that they were under attack, drew her own concealed 9mm from her ankle. She was about to fire when Cameron seized her by the back of her dress.

"You're flashing to me? How cute," Cameron laughed as he attempted to drive the butt of his 9mm into the back of her skull. She felt pain when he drove the end into the soft and tender spot of her neck, sending her into a world of hurt.

He seized her neck and tried to pull the old vampire routine, but failed when Carmelita slammed his fist into the wolf's head. Cameron winced loudly, but not in a hurtful way. The crazy person was enjoying the way he felt in this crazy little matter.

"Trying to kill me? That won't work," the wolf said proudly as he sank his teeth into the soft flesh of her shoulder.

The vixen wailed in pain as the wolf began to tear her shoulder. She tried to fire the 9mm at his head, but failed to do so. The result was her vision was going and going fast. Cameron was coming closer to try and tear the flesh off the bone like what one may have done in the consumption of chicken.

"_LET GO OF HER, DAMN YOU!_" Ben yelled as he smashed his fist onto the top of Cameron's head.

The wolf released Carmelita from his grasp and turned on Ben. The Husky was nailed in the chest when the wolf began to hit him down. Benjamin Cole had experienced things like this before, but his mind suddenly drew a blank.

Cameron jabbed his clawed hand into Ben's throat. The wolf was trying to kill the Husky by jamming his claws to tear the jugular vein within. As every killer like Cameron would know, the jugular is a weak spot and a definite way to kill someone. Ben raised both hands on the wolf's wrist, struggling to break away.

"Don't…I…can't," Ben tried to speak.

"What now, you Interpol idiot?" Cameron taunted as he drove the claws deeper, a few drops of blood staining his hand.

"I…can't…afford…to…die yet!" Ben yelled angrily.

The Husky tore from the wolf's grip. He dove underneath Cameron and slammed the wolf into the side of Carmelita's car, causing the wolf to bleed slightly. Cameron looked up through blood-encrusted eyes and laughed like the crazy lunatic he was. He rose and charged the Husky, but Ben was ready for it this time. Ben drove his fist into Cameron's skull and slammed the Reborn assassin into the cement ground. The Husky stood over the fallen wolf with a foot over his head with intentions to crush it.

"Don't…you…ever…touch her again, got it?" Ben growled at Cameron.

"Lay off, sick bastard!" Cameron laughed as he threw Ben back onto the pavement. "I'd love to finish you, but I've already done what I was supposed to do in the first place! Bye, Interpol crony!"

Cameron fled, but Ben was more concerned about Carmelita. She was lying there with a bloody wound I her shoulder. He realized that he too was bleeding, but that didn't matter now. Carmelita's wound looked serious enough that she could…

"_CARMELITA!_" Ben cried out as he reached her. "Carmelita, please be alive. Please, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't protect you enough."

Tears streamed down the Husky's face and gently stained his white-furred cheeks. He stood with her body in his arms as he ran a hand through her hair smoothly, feeling each strand running between his fingers like rain. This only made him cry more as hot tears leaked down and nearly singed his swollen cheeks.

"Carmelita, I'm sorry…I tried. I tried to save you, but I was too late. I was just lying there on the pavement like a crippled idiot when I should have been there for you! I'm sorry…_te amo_, _mi amiga_. I love you…"

He cried softly until he heard a gentle voice calling his name.

"Ben, I'm fine. It only hurts a little bit."

He looked at her and was much relieved to see that she was still alive. He was so relieved that he embraced her tightly, but not too tight that it would hurt her wounds. She didn't know why he was doing this, but recalled that he was saying something as she was regaining consciousness. Carmelita pushed Ben away a little so she could look him in the eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" he asked her.

"No, it's just…what were you saying to me earlier? I heard you talking to me when I was waking up. What was it you were saying, Ben?"

The Husky found himself caught in a situation that he really wasn't ready for. How in the hell was he able to fight a vicious crime lord, staring death in the face at the same time, but not be able to tell the woman he loved how he felt about her? He had no problem when he thought she was dead, but since she was alive…well it was another story all together…"

_Just tell her, it's your chance…_his mind told him.

He looked up at her, "I thought you were dying and I was just saying that I was angry at myself because I believed that I couldn't save you in time. I was very worried when I thought that wolf freak had killed you…I was just wanting to say that…uh…that I…"

"You what?" she asked him.

_Just tell her! Tell her now, Ben! Tell her now while you can!_

"I just wanted you…to know…that I…"

_Tell her…_

"I…I love you…" he answered very weakly.

The Husky leaned forward and did something very bold, bolder in comparison to when he was even fighting the worst gang lord in all of Alaska. He leaned in and kissed her a little, softly feeling how her lips felt against his. Benjamin Cole felt very elated as he did this and even more elated when he deepened it. This lasted only a few seconds, but Ben thought it lasted for many minutes. Carmelita just sat there was he did this and took in the feeling of euphoria that followed with it.

He eventually broke the kiss, both of them flushed in their faces. Ben was still in some sort of trancelike state where he hung there pleasantly still.

"We'd better be going," Carmelita said, standing up.

"What about you wound?" he asked, falling out of the trance.

"It'll be fine, just bandage it in the car. It will heal," she said, now really unable to look at him without blushing.

Benjamin Cole felt happy and relieved, as if he had finally accomplished his most desired dream.

_Great, now I owe Russell a lot_, he thought. _As if he needs anything from me._

The Husky disrupted all thoughts when he entered the car and drove off to the location of Beyond the Sunset. Carmelita sat next to him and he helped apply bandages placed in the glove compartment upon her wound as well as his. The pain was nothing now.

* * *

_Cameron, miles away, was plotting revenge. He so wanted to get back at them._

"_I am going to kill you two so much, that if God lets me, I'll kill you twice!"_

"_Cameron, damn it, get over here!" Roderick yelled. _

_Cameron heard and obeyed, he knew better. The plan was in action._


	14. Beyond the Sunset

**Chapter Fourteen: **Beyond the Sunset

"Whoa, this place is big."

Those were the first words of Willard Tanaka as he stood outside of the restaurant with much interest. He was hidden in an alley across the way with the other Cooper Gang members, looking over the structure of the building. Beyond the Sunset was an amazing structure that truly had elegance to its sheen color and design. This was definitely one of those restaurants that people came especially to eat here in Paris.

"Okay, why are we here again?" Blake asked.

"According to Nathan, that wolf, Cameron Broderick, that attacked Will a few nights back is a member of that criminal organization. He said that Cameron Broderick was last seen here," Bentley answered.

"So, you mean that the owner of this place could be the leader of that organization?" Will asked the turtle.

"Precisely, if our sources serve us right."

"So, how are we supposed to get in there?"

"We'll come up with something," Murray said from the van.

"I have an idea," Sly said. "We'll use the old stealthy approach. Do you think you guys are ready for this?"

"Are you crazy, Sly? This is going to be much more dangerous than the previous missions! We're dealing with more dangerous individuals and run a high risk of failure!"

"Hey," Will said. "They killed family, burned down my house, and tried to take me for their own uses. I think I have many reasons to work in this. I want to see that they pay for what they did to me, Blake, and my family."

"Yeah," Blake agreed. "They did horrible things to us, so we're going to do horrible things to them."

"You boys are turning this into a revenge mission. That's not what we're trying to do!"

"Like you guys did with Clockwerk?" Will countered.

Bentley couldn't really argue with that. Even though they were trying to take back the Theivius Raccoonus, they did do it with some revenge in mind. Will had a point there.

"Come on, we can't just wait out here all night," Will said. "Let's get going."

"Hold on, Will," Sly laughed, enjoying the young raccoon's enthusiasm. "I am coming with you guys, remember? I promised that we'd get back at them, and that's what I'm going to do."

"Thanks, Sly," Will said.

The two raccoons and the crossbreed began to make their way across the street, somehow unnoticed by the large crowd outside the building.

* * *

"Why are we here?" Rouge asked impatiently.

"We are here to check on this little gathering," Neyla said angrily, annoyed by Rouge's constant questioning. "It seems very suspicious that Cain Connell would be involved with this."

"And why is that?"

"Because, if my theory is correct, Cain Connell is the leader of the Reborn. If you and I capture him, we'll gain the foolish trust of those Interpol simpletons. Then, we can make our move on the final stage of the plan," Neyla said, looking over her figure for anything that might look suspicious.

"Only one problem with that, he's bound to have guards all around the place."

"That is why we're going to go incognito on this situation, Rouge."

"Very good, I guess," Rouge said, preparing her gun for the planned ambush. "And what are you wearing to this place?"

"The same outfit I wore a while ago at Rajan's ball."

"Surly, _someone_ would recognize you in that thing. Besides, it says you need a date to get in there."

"That's why I brought up that love blind idiot to go with me," Neyla said with confidence. "I instructed him to make a reservation for us a few days previously. He will be my "date" and we will have access to the building itself. You will stay outside until I give you the signal on your earpiece, understand?"

"Yeah-yeah, just get going," the batgirl answered.

Neyla walked out in her attire to where Zeke Dawson was waiting for her, dressed in a fine white tuxedo. Even Neyla had to admit that he had done a good job finding an outfit like she told him to. The leopard stared at her revealing attire and nearly found himself drooling on the collar of his suit.

"You ready?" he asked her, eyeing her outfit.

"As always, sexy," Neyla told him, giving the leopard a fake smile. "Let's go in, shall we?"

"Of course!" the leopard said, excited that he was going to the occasion with the tigress he admired. He was completely oblivious of the plan she had for him, as they linked arms and moved out.

* * *

"Are you in position, Will?" Sly asked over his earpiece.

"Yeah, I'm good. You good, Blake?"

"Yeah, I'm good," Blake responded. "Let's move."

The three of them were dressed in waiter's uniforms, ready to sneak into the place unnoticed however by the crowd. A guard out front admitted them in to handle their tasks. Sly handled the upper floor bar, while Will and Blake, because of their ages, handled the restaurant area on the bottom floor. Although the building was only three stories, it was huge on the inside.

"Any luck yet, Blake?" Will asked cautiously.

"Not yet, Will."

"Keep looking, there's bound to be something around here."

"Excuse me, waiter?"

Will realized that was his cue to begin the act. He turned around to help the people who summoned him, but he stopped when he saw whom exactly they were.

"Excuse me?"

"Carmelita, let me handle this. Yes, we'd like two of the House Specials, if that's alright with the manager."

"Of course, I will get that for you, sir and madam," Will pretended to answer.

He wandered away quickly.

"That waiter seemed familiar."

"Carmelita, relax. Tonight's the night to do so."

"Ben, it's just…you can't always be so trusting with these strange individuals. They could be anyone wanting to sneak up and steal you money, or your belongings," the vixen said.

"Carmelita, relax," the Husky soothed her, wrapping an arm around her. "We came to have a good time, not to turn this into a police quarrel."

"I don't know, Ben, there's just something I don't like about this place."

"What's not to like? The atmosphere is spectacular, the music is divine, and the wine," Ben stated with passion. "Don't get me started on the wine, it is beyond perfection." He took a sip from the red wine in his glass.

Carmelita looked about. Her intuitions were telling her that there was something horribly wrong about this place. There was something wrong here, seriously wrong.

* * *

"Man, this is a golden opportunity for us," Zeke said as the two passed up the line to the entrance. He was marveling at the sights and the date. Neyla was slightly annoyed, but her plan did depend on his gullibility and weakness of affections. She would have to endure it.

"Yes, Zeke, you've said that five times already."

"I know, but isn't it great? You and me here at the most romantic restaurant in all of current Paris! I don't know how this could get any better!"

_If you don't shut up, I'll show you how it could get worse_, Neyla thought, but held back.

"You're right, Zeke my sweet," she flirted.

"Alright, you are…?" the guard asked them up front.

"Ezekiel Dawson and date," the leopard said proudly. "I marked it earlier as a reservation just like she told me to."

"Very well, Mr. Dawson. You and your _lovely_ date can go in."

"Very good," Zeke said.

"Yes, very good," Neyla murmured.

The tigress and the leopard walked into the restaurant and looked upon the tables that sprawled out before them. The atmosphere was as exquisite as they had been led to believe. Even Neyla was slightly impressed by the wares that this place had to offer.

"It's only a matter of time before he shows up," Neyla said quietly.

"What?" Zeke had heard her mutter something.

"Nothing, darling, absolutely nothing," the tigress assured him.

* * *

"Sir!" Cameron Broderick yelled as he entered the private quarters of Cain Connell on the second floor. "It's just like you said, they're two Inspectors here in the ballroom dining hall!"

"I thought you killed them," Cain replied angrily.

"Heh-heh, funny story there, Boss, you see I tried, but-."

"I don't have time for this, Cameron. Just get the men down there ready for the attack if absolutely necessary. Understand?" Cain instructed.

"Yes, of course, Boss!" the wolf replied, leaving immediately.

"I don't know why you keep him here," a smooth female voice echoed from another part of the quarters. "He's just going to ruin everything, isn't he? I mean, he has been a complete pain in the ass on more than one occasion."

"Larxena, I know what you mean," Cain assured her. "I know he's a complete idiot whose only know-how is to kill people, but he is a vital assassin for the Reborn since Basque was taken captive a while back. We still need people of that caliber if we're going to survive these matters. Now, let's see what you look like in that dress."

The beauty of the lavender tigress was magnified when she came out into the vision field of her boss and lover. She looked greatly stunning and the ebony dress made her much more than just good-looking. Cain felt that he couldn't take his eyes off her stunning figure, though he knew he would have to eventually.

"Hello, my gem of the Indian desert," Cain said, coming to her and affectionately running a hand through her hair. "Forgive me for saying this, but I can easily see that you look more beautiful every time I lay my eyes upon you."

"Cain, you're too sweet," Larxena told him.

"Am I? Or possibly just a little too grateful for the angel that fell from Heaven into my life?" Cain laughed as he kissed her forehead. "Now, we must go. Our company awaits us and we cannot afford to be late for this."

* * *

Will was a little nervous when he entered the kitchen area of the restaurant. He was told by two Inspectors of the Law to bring two House Specials to them. To keep with this matter of disguise, he had to do what they requested. After all, Sly was depending on him and Will did not want to let his hero down.

He crept into the kitchen.

"Two House Specials, please," he feebly said to the chefs.

"Two House Specials!" the apparently Head Chef cried out. He turned to Will. "Hey, you don't look familiar, are you new here?"

Will thought he was caught until the Head Chef laughed.

"We're all new here if you really think about it. This place has only been open for a few days now and this couples' thing really brings in the bucks, you know what I mean?"

He laughed again.

"Two House Specials," an attendant said.

The Head Chef handed two platters of roast beef that was cooked to perfection to Will. The smell of the food was enough to send saliva running through Willard's mouth and he was strongly tempted to take a bite. He held back, knowing what would happen if he would. Will navigated his way back to the table where the Inspectors sat together. He carefully placed the two platters on the table for them.

"Thanks, boy," the Husky said, taking a fork to his platter.

Will thought he was going to be off the hook here, until the vixen sitting there called him back to her.

"Um…yes?" he answered, scared out of his wits.

"Have we met before?" the vixen asked him. "You seem very familiar, like I've seen you somewhere."

"I don't think so," Will answered her, taking in that Sly was right about her appearance. "I don't think I've ever seen a pretty lady like you before."

"Don't give me that. Where have I seen you before?"

"Leave the boy alone," the Husky said through a mouthful of beef. "He complemented your beautiful appearance and you're giving him twenty questions. Let him go for God's sake, Carmelita."

"No, Ben, he seems like a very suspicious person-."

"Relax, don't stress out now," Ben spoke up. "Just let him handle his business."

_Thank God he's playing it cool_, Will thought. _I was this close to being exposed, and then what would happen to me?_

"Very well," she finally stopped the little interrogation.

"Thank you sir and madam," Will said faintly as he slipped away.

He walked to a corner and began to talk into his earpiece.

"Sly? Are you there? Sly, can you read me?"

"Loud and clear, Will," the raccoon responded. "What's up?"

"Your girlfriend and another guy are here."

"Oh, the lovely Ms. Fox has arrived to check up on us? Ooh, this is going to be better than I had hoped."

"What the hell are you talking about? I nearly got caught back there."

"Don't sweat, Willard Tanaka. If anything goes wrong, just let me know, okay?"

"Very well," Will finished. "Over and out."

* * *

"Would you look at this?' Zeke was admiring the upholstery of their corner of the dining hall. "This is absolutely fantastic! I mean, look at this!"

"Yes, Zeke, I know," Neyla responded sweetly, even though inside she was on the verge of wanting to kill him. "Please stop saying that, okay?"

"I'm sorry, did that annoy you?"

"Yes, it did, Zeke."

"I apologize once and once again. I should be grateful that you took me in as your date. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," Neyla said, putting the seductive charm on him once more. "It only matters that you're having a good time."

Neyla felt like vomiting when she said that, but she held it all in her. It was vital for the plan to be carried out.

* * *

"Damn it, Neyla!" Rouge swore impatiently. She had been waiting for a while now and it was pissing her off. "When the hell are you going to answer?"

She turned on her earpiece and began to revolve the plastic wheel for frequencies when something came up.

"_Sly? Are you there? Sly, can you read me?"_

"What the hell?" she said, flipping back to the frequency she had heard that remark on before.

"_Loud and clear, Will. What's up?"_

"_Your girlfriend and another guy are here."_

"_Oh, the lovely Ms. Fox has arrived to check up on us? Ooh, this is going to be better than I had hoped."_

"_What the hell are you talking about? I nearly got caught back there."_

"_Don't sweat, Will. If anything goes wrong, just let me know, okay?"_

"_Very well. Over and out."_

"Holy crap," the batgirl said, trying more frantically to find Neyla's frequency.

* * *

"Anything for you, my darling?" Zeke asked Neyla sweetly.

"No, nothing for me," she replied. "Just get me a glass of wine and that should be every-."

She was cut off by a soft, but harsh screech.

"Excuse me a moment," she told Zeke. Then, she turned her attention to the earpiece that went off. "What the hell is it, Rouge? I told you I'd give you-."

"Ironsides and Cooper are here," Rouge said through the speaker. "I heard a conversation between Cooper and some guy named Will. Cooper said it was that Tanaka kid that was abducted a while back. They might be up to something that could interfere with our plans."

"Carmelita and Sly are here?" Neyla asked, the thought of killing two birds with one stone came to mind. "Where are they?"

"If I knew that. I'd tell you. Just let me know when. For God's sake, Neyla, I've been waiting on my ass for ages and I am getting sick of this…waiting!" Rouge angrily replied.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen," a jaguar said from the center of the elegant ballroom with a mike. "I am proud to present to you our founder and leader of this wonderful place, Mr. Cain Connell with his lovely lady Larxena!"

A large black panther arm-in-arm with a very beautiful lavender tigress came out onto the floor, taking in the mild applause that came from several of the occupants. Neyla looked and somehow thought she knew that tigress. She shrugged it off and made the transmission.

"Neyla, what the hell is going on out there? Neyla?" Rouge was fuming.

"When," Neyla spoke into the earpiece, grinning at the same time.

"What's going on down there?" Sly asked Will through the earpiece.

"They're introducing some guy named Cain Connell. It's a big black panther with a very sexy tigress with him."

"Tigress? Is she lavender?"

"Yeah."

Sly froze. He had a very terrible thought that it was Neyla returning to get revenge on them for stopping her from world domination. He still remembered what she had done to them as the infamous Clock-La and he still had the fact that Bentley was in a wheelchair because of that event. This was going to be hard if she was getting involved in this.

"Yeah, and she had long black hair and is pretty tall. They said her name is Larxena," Will added.

Sly sighed with relief. It was someone else, hopefully.

"Prepare for anything, Will. Anything could-."

Sly was cut off when something charged into him. That something also had teeth that were trying to tear his throat apart. He rose up and swung his cane to counter the beast and was met in eye contact by a very familiar lunatic.

"So, Cooper, we meet again."

"Back off!" Sly yelled, slamming his fist into Cameron's head. The wolf fell backwards into a little heap and was laughing slightly.

"Well, well, well," another voice said. "If it isn't the Master Thief."

Sly turned to the sound of that voice and found himself barely missing a bullet to the head. He dove to the floor just in time to avoid that. The raccoon rolled and dodged oncoming bullets as they flew directly at him.

"Damn it, hold still!" Cameron yelled as the other assassin fired another bullet.

Sly ran for cover from the rain of lead in the viewing hall, where people could look upon the bottom floor ballroom if anyone wanted to. He threw himself on the floor to avoid the approaching shower of shells that were concentrated on him.

"Quick little one, isn't he? We'll take care of that," the other assassin said.

"Kill him! _KILL HIM!_" Cameron chanted, like a crazed male cheerleader.

The other assassin grinned and loaded more bullets into the magazine of his gun. The barrage began once more, sending Sly right through the glass of the window to the floor below.

"It is my great pleasure to honor all of my special guests to this most pleasurable occasion. It is a great honor to be surrounded by my peers and fellow citizens tonight," Cain spoke into the mike. "Let me assure all of you that this is a great-."

A rain of glass flew towards him. He covered himself and Larxena as they came down in a neat little shower. Several people on the floor ran for cover and many saw someone falling from the upper floor window.

"Hey, Boss! Cooper's here!" Cameron Broderick yelled through the hole in the window. "We almost got him, he's on the floor! Kill him! KILL HIM!"

"I knew it!" Carmelita and Neyla said simultaneously from where they were sitting.

Ben rose up and took out the secreted gun from his holster on his waist. Carmelita removed hers from her ankle holster and pointed it at Cain.

"Cain Connell, you're under arrest!" she yelled.

"_NO, I CAN'T BE!_" Cain roared, tearing through the crowd that tried to stop him. Larxena was having problems as people tried to take her down with them. "Let go of me, you idiots! I am not the man you are looking for!"

There were other gunshots echoing through the air as Rouge came threw firing bullets like there was no tomorrow. She aimed at Cain, but all bullets missed him. Sly, who woke from his dazed state, threw his fist into Cain's mouth. The panther flew backwards onto the ground as the people scattered to flee the scene. Growling, Cain Connell rammed himself into Sly and tried to break the raccoon's body. Sly responded by smacking his cane directly into Cain's face and using the time he flinched to deliver another blow that sent the panther falling in a heap to the floor. Cain uttered a moan of pain and laid there in a sprawled position.

Neyla, Carmelita, and Ben ran from their posts to apprehend the criminals when Rouge fired overhead at them.

"Idiot! Kill them, not me!" Neyla yelled at the batgirl.

"Sorry," Rouge said sarcastically. She turned her aim onto the fallen Cain. She was ready to fire at any moment now. Larxena noticed the batgirl overhead and feared the worst. She managed to rise above the ocean of fleeing people and threw herself over her lover in a protective fashion.

"You take him, you take me too," she said firmly.

"Fine, either way is good enough for me," Rouge said. She aimed for them, the target set on Larxena's chest.

"Don't shoot!" Neyla suddenly screamed at the batgirl.

"Why the hell not? You hired me to do that?"

"Don't shoot, damn it, Rouge!" Neyla yelled out at her.

"Sister?" Larxena breathed towards Neyla's position. "Sister, is that you?"

Neyla was about to respond when Carmelita countered her.

"I should have figured you would have something to do with this," Carmelita said angrily at Neyla. "I knew it."

"Oh, Ironsides, I wouldn't dream of killing you. I only came to apprehend Cain Connell and that's what I shall do."

"It may not be any of my business, but I think you're both onto something."

The tigress and vixen turned to the wounded Cooper and gasped.

"Cooper, what are you doing here?" Carmelita aimed her gun at him.

"Just handling some business here," the raccoon replied coolly. "Just taking care of some business."

"SLY!" another raccoon yelled at him.

Sly looked around and saw Cameron charging for him. How he got off that upper floor was a mystery to him, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that he was to stop him. Will dove out his hiding place and slammed his secreted cane into Cameron's head. The wolf went flying in the other direction when there was a deep-voiced cry of retreat. In a matter of seconds, a certain raccoon-fox dove from his own spot and managed to nail a couple shots or so onto Cameron. The wolf angrily threw Blake aside in his run and the half-breed was cursing at the escaping assassin.

Cain Connell had risen and was on the run.

"Freeze, criminal!" Carmelita yelled as she and soon Ben began to fire their weapons.

Cain and Larxena, along with Cameron and the other assassin, had disappeared among the fleeing crowd and into the darkness where they vanished. She turned to Cooper, Will, and Blake who were already running away from them. Bullets fired, but died out shortly afterwards.

"Damn it! They got away!"

"Let's get out of here, Carmelita," Ben said sternly.

"But, Ben, they just-."

"I know, but we have other things to do now than go chasing after Cooper and Connell. We must go now."

Reluctantly, she went outside with him.

Neyla was fleeing too, taking that leopard with her. Rouge had already flown to safety for now, but countered Neyla on the way out. Zeke saw the batgirl and was already more confused than before.

"Why didn't you let me shoot them?" Rouge yelled at her.

"Because…" Neyla began.

"Because why?"

"Does it matter?" Zeke intervened, trying to defend her.

"Shut up, Spots," Rouge growled at the leopard. "Why didn't you let me shoot her?"

"Because…" Neyla began.

"Because why?" the batgirl asked angrily.

"Because…she was my sister," Neyla replied coolly.


	15. Sisters

**Chapter Fifteen: **Sisters

"What happened in there, guys?" Bentley asked as the two raccoons showed up from inside the panicky building.

Sly and Will were pretty messed up from the incident. They were both hurt in some places while they were running and fighting. Blake, who had been forgotten and cut off, was pretty pissed off that he had missed all the action.

"No fair! How come I had to miss all that?"

"You were hiding away, that's why!" Will yelled at his friend. "You were somewhere else far away from the whole scene. How do you explain that?"

"What, and get me killed? I don't think so."

"You could at least be a little more help."

"Hey, I was trying to get to you guys, but I got cut off by the crowd! I barely even made it back outside!"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Anyway, we now know for certain that Cain Connell is the Boss of those lunatics. I'm going to hunt him down for what he's done to me!"

"Hold onto that thought for now, Will. You're pretty badly injured from the fight and flight. You'd better get some rest, okay?"

"Yeah, whatever," the young raccoon said, going outside of the van.

Will had never felt so scared in all of his life than he did last night. He hid it well, but he was really frightened about what had happened. Never had he before had to fight an entire crowd head-on like that before, or the possibility of his hero dying. It was all nothing he wanted to know, but knew.

He looked up and saw something coming for him.

After that, his world was black.

* * *

"Your sister?" Rouge asked in shock and disbelief. "I thought you were an only child."

"Yes, so did I, but I remember her. I remember that I had a sister that I didn't see so much because of what happened to our parents. She used to care for me when our mother was sick and eventually died from AIDS. I just didn't remember Larxena until I saw her tonight at that restaurant."

"And you didn't want me to kill her, why?"

"She is my sister, damn it! I will not stand by and let her get killed off. I may have my plans, but I owe Larxena for what she's done for me," Neyla said.

"Whoa, you have a sister?" Zeke asked, amazed by that realization.

"Yes, Zeke, I do."

"Then, why did you forget?"

"I don't know, don't contradict me!"

The leopard backed away from her, afraid and shocked that she would yell at him like that.

"I'm sorry…it's just…I wanted to help," he said sympathetically.

"I know…just leave me to think!" Neyla growled. Her sister's reappearance really threw a monkey wrench in the operation. With Larxena around, she would risk killing her sister that had taken care of her for such a while and all. What was she to do?

* * *

"Hey, Will? Are you out here?"

Sly had noticed that Will had gone outside the van and was looking for him. It had been a few minutes since he had gone outside to get away from the internal conflict.

"Will? Will, are you out here?"

He looked around and saw that there was nothing but an empty alley. There were shadows dancing upon the early morning's rays covering the ground, but no sign of his young companion. It was peaceful to an almost disturbing extent.

"Will?" he asked out again.

"What's wrong, Sly?" Murray asked from within.

"Will was just right out here a moment ago. He couldn't have just run off, could he?"

"What do you mean he's gone?" Bentley asked.

"Look out for yourself," Sly told him.

The turtle looked out and saw nothing but an empty alley.

"Oh my God, do you think?"

"I don't want to think, we have to find him!" Sly said, turning around the front of the van. "Murray, let's get going! We have to find Will!"

* * *

"Where am I?" Willard Tanaka's head was hurting severely.

"Oh look, he's awake," a female voice said.

"Look at him, he is _so_ sexy," said another female voice.

"Stop falling in love with him, Ivy. You'll just scare him," said a third female voice.

"But, he's _so_ sexy and handsome! Can't I at least fondle him a little?"

"No, Ivy. Our employer probably wouldn't like that."

Will opened his eyes and saw that there were three Siberian tigresses surrounding him. He began to mentally panic when he realized that he couldn't move his wrists or his ankles. To his horror, they had been strapped to some sort of examination table.

"Who are you people?" he asked aloud.

"Well, Willard," the owner of the first voice answered. "I am Echo Ami, if you must really know."

"I'm Eva Ami," said the owner of the third voice.

"And I'm Ivy Ami," said the second voice owner. "And I think you're really cute."

"We are sisters…the Sisters," Eva stated.

_No kidding_, Will thought.

"Come on, Eva! Can't I at least maybe touch him?"

"No, Ivy, that would interfere with what our employer wants."

"Eva, that guy won't even be here for another two hours or so," Ivy whined, each time her naughty hand reaching for Will's lower areas. "I do have to entertain myself until then, don't I?"

Under the normal circumstances, Will would be overexcited. In this case, however, he was scared to like this. Ivy's hand was groping for his chest and anything below it, but she would restrain herself from touching. This merchandise was for eyes only.

"Aw, but why can't I?" she whined.

"We have to get him to the employer. The hostage is not for your sensual needs."

"But look at him, he's so cute."

Eva sighed. She hated being surrounded by constant idiocies of her sister Ivy. Ivy was a lovesick idiot who was obsessed with the bounty.

"There are three people outside," Echo spoke up. "One of them looks very familiar."

"How so, Echo?"

"There's a guy that looks like that black panther you messed with last year."

"Oh, really?" Eva asked with much interest.

"Yeah, I think that's him," Echo said.

"Very well, Echo. Ivy, stay with the bounty, but don't touch him, understand?"

Ivy nodded. "I won't let you down, sister."

"You had better not, we are entrusting you to do so."

"Of course, sister."

Echo and Eva both left from the room, leaving Ivy alone with Will.

"Now that we're alone…" Ivy turned her attention to Will. "Let's have a little fun, shall we?"

She wrapped her arms around Will's neck and pressed her lips against his.

* * *

"Where the hell are we?" Seth asked impatiently.

"We were instructed to investigate the surrounding area and that is what we are going to do," Russell answered.

"Hey, I thought I saw something," Curtis remarked.

"Probably just your imagination," Russell said.

Suddenly, a swift blow hit Curtis in the back of the head. The German Shepard fell forward and landed in the road. A Siberian tigress looked over him, her white fur reflected by the sun's glow.

"Well, this was a pity. I expected a better fight," she said.

"Who are you?" Russell asked before he too was struck down.

Another one arrived. "Take care of these two, Echo."

She turned to Seth. "This one's mine."

"You!" Seth cried out when she leapt at him. He winced in pain when she slammed her fist into his face. The panther fell backwards onto the pavement and threw his hands over his face to protect himself. They were useless and he found himself slammed into the ground before he knew it. Eva Ami was beating the living crap out of him.

"You know, if I didn't still like you, I could kill you right now, Seth Garrison."

"Your threats are as empty as your head, Eva."

"How cruel, Seth, especially since I loved you more than ever."

"Shut up!" Seth threw his fist into Eva's face, sending her back slightly. She charged him, slamming him into the side of a nearby building, sending pain throughout his entire body as she began to hold a staff against his throat, cutting off some of his air.

"I did all that love for you and this is how you repay me?"

"You don't deserve it, you bitch."

"Ooh, my Seth's gotten vicious. I'm not afraid of you and I know you don't mean to hurt me or fight me. You're weak, Seth! Weak to me!" Eva growled.

He was losing breath and it didn't help when she laid her mouth upon his.

A gunshot was fired from Russell's gun.

"Let him go!" the Golden Retriever demanded.

"Very well, it was getting boring anyway," Eva said, releasing from both grips. "But, I am not finished here."

Eva and Echo both disappeared as quickly as they had appeared.

"You okay, Seth?" Curtis asked.

"Yeah," the panther answered.

"Was she making out with you?" Russell asked.

"Yeah," Seth answered again.

* * *

Ivy was enjoying this session immensely. Her lips pressed deeper into Will's every second that it lasted. Will was contemplating a way of escape, but nothing came…until…

"Now, that felt good, didn't it?" she asked him.

"Yeah, but I really…want to feel you," Will grinned, putting on some charm. "Could you let me out of these restaiants?"

"I suppose I could, but then you'd run away from me," she moaned.

"You have my word that I will not do that."

"Very well," she said, starting to remove the restraints and began another make out session as she did it. Will slipped his arms around her and then made her feel good while he worked his way to the restraints.

Ivy had her eyes closed when she did this. When she awoke, she found herself strapped to the examination table.

"What? Hey!"

"Sorry, but I have stuff to do," Will said, saluting her.

He took off only seconds before Eva and Echo arrived back.

"What the hell happened?" Eva asked angrily.

Ivy looked at her with tear-filled eyes.

"He broke away…and broke my heart."


	16. Overthrown

**Chapter Sixteen: **Overthrown

Cain Connell had never been more furious now than he had ever been in his whole life. He looked over at Larxena, who was brushing small shards of glass from her hair.

"Look, Cain, it wasn't all-bad," she tried to console him.

"What do you mean? It was horrible!" the panther nearly screamed at her. "It was the worst night of my life and career! Our own agents we came to do the damn job couldn't even do that! Now, because of those idiots, everyone will be searching for me! Everyone now knows that I am the leader of the Reborn!"

"Is that all you think about is yourself?"

"Of course not, my Arabian flower," Cain said, apologizing for any bad statement he might have made. "I think about you as well, because you are the only one I can trust out of all these idiots and imbeciles I hired for God knows why. I just don't know whom to really trust anymore with what I have. My father Marcus would have been greatly disappointed with me for this. And what if my brothers should find out?"

"What about me?" Larxena looked at him with eyes full of grief. "I nearly lost my life defending you and all you can say is how you disappoint your father? I love you, Cain, and I will stay with you no matter what happens. But…damn it, sometimes, you just rave on about you and what would happen to you if something should happen!"

The tigress was breathing hard from saying that entire statement. She looked at Cain now with eyes that wanted more than just attention.

"I'm sorry if I made you feel that way," Cain said, running an affectionate hand through her hair. "But if something happens to me, you will also be thrown in the crossfire. There is nothing else on earth that I care about more than you. However, we must be careful as we do it, understand?"

"I understand," Larxena said grimly.

* * *

Will was running fast as he could right now. That lovesick tigress with the obsession over him had sisters who probably found her strapped down to the examination table a while back. He could see that image in his mind and almost found himself laughing, not out of cruelty, but of victory. Still, there was one thought that was present in his mind, who was this employer that hired them to capture him?

The raccoon was worried now as well as feeling victorious. He was slightly concerned for what they were after. He felt for the amulet that had been long forgotten in his pocket and stopped to examine it briefly.

He looked at its shiny surface. The amber design was glowing slightly, but this time there were no burns. The raccoon also gazed at the tiger design on its body and was curious to find out what that symbol meant. Was it some kind of religious charm? Or possibly a talisman of great power that they sought to use for their own greedy needs? Whatever it was, Will knew it must not be good. He contemplated on throwing the amulet away, but then he had a powerful thought.

_Don't give them what they want. You could throw it away and they would probably find later and use it for whatever the hell it is they want to do. That would be bad for you and the Cooper Gang, not to mention every other person living here._

Will nodded, agreeing with his thought.

"Don't give them what they want," he said. "Keep it to yourself, just for now."

With that, he placed it back in his pocket and continued running.

* * *

Cain and Larxena rested upon a red silk-laced bed together. Though Larxena was crying, she found acceptance and allowed her lover to woo her to lay on the bed with him. They could feel each other's warmth travel from each other. Above them was an open window, revealing the newborn night sky.

"Can you see the beauty of the night sky?" he asked her, feeling her hair run between his fingers. "Can one truly appreciate the wondrous gifts that nature has to offer us?"

"Cain, I love it when you get philosophical," the tigress laughed. "It makes me feel really understanding, since you yourself are an understanding person."

"Am I?"

"Yes, you gave me hope when there was none."

"Are you sure it was me and not yourself? You are as determined as you are beautiful, Larxena."

She blushed, "Thank you for that."

"My pleasure," Cain said as he began to kiss her neck, sending a tingle of pleasure down her spine. She allowed him to begin feeling her when…

"BOSS!"

"Not now, Cameron!" Cain yelled, angry that he was interrupted. "Can't you see that I'm doing something here?"

"Boss, we need to talk about what happened the other night," Cameron Broderick began to speak. "We've all been thinking about how you and Larxena managed to run away and not boldly fight the crowds like a true Reborn member."

"Yes, we have." Roderick O' Donnell stepped in, along with seven other Reborn members. "And I think it's about time that there was a change of pace around here."

"What do you mean by that?" Cain asked in an angry and slightly scared voice.

"We mean that it is about time that someone with true valor took over this job," Roderick said firmly. "Someone who can actually stand up to whatever should get in the way and handle things right. We all really need a new Boss, Cain, and we shall relieve you of your duties…permanently!"

"What?" Cain rose to draw out a carefully hidden blade from a leg of the bed. "I knew it! I knew you were all against me!"

"Oh, Cain Connell," Roderick laughed. "You were never one with swordplay."

The wolf drew out his own blade and swung it at the panther's head. A small stream of blood leaked from a fresh wound in the side of his head.

"Leave him alone!" Larxena yelled.

"What about it, precious?" Roderick laughed evilly. "You wish to die with your beloved? So be it."

He drew on her and was about to attack when Cain struck the wolf.

"_DON'T_ _YOU DARE TOUCH HER!_" the panther growled. "_YOU LAY A HAND ON HER OR A BLADE, I'LL RIP YOUR DAMN HEAD OFF!_"

"Big talk for someone who is going to die. No more delaying!"

Roderick slammed Cain in the back of his head, sending the panther into the ground with force. More blood began to slightly flow as he felt agony beyond what he had ever felt before. The wolf struck him again as Cameron and the seven others came onto Larxena, overpowering her fiercely.

"Let her go!" Cain yelled. "Kill me and let her go free! Do it, damn it!"

"Cain, please! Don't encourage them!" the tigress pleaded, avoiding throws sent by her attackers. "Don't let them win! Don't give in! Don't give-!"

A strike to the head sent Cain into darkness. He thought he would smell hot copper in his nostrils.

But since when did blood smell like…lilacs?

He opened his eyes and looked around. He was in a completely different room covered in all sorts of scented candles and peaceful surroundings.

Cain felt breath upon his ear.

"It is alright," a smooth soft voice said.

He felt a smooth mouth caress his cheek.

"For now, my love," Larxena said. "You are safe."


	17. The Servant

**Chapter Seventeen: **The Servant

"Something wrong?"

Zeke noticed that Neyla was sitting there on the curb, crying softly and trying her hardest to hide it. The leopard could tell something was up with her and was wanting to do anything that would help her.

"Neyla? Is something wrong?"

"Nothing, shut up," she answered him.

"Is this about your sister?"

"That bat idiot almost killed her…_I_ almost killed her. Larxena…the only person in the world who has shown me even the slightest connection to a family than anyone else I've ever known. I almost had her killed after what she had den for me."

"This is a side I've never seen of you before," Rouge retorted. "See you idiots later, I've got better things to do than to hang around here all day."

"Hey, get back here!" Zeke yelled at her, but she took off.

"Forget her, we don't need traitors like her," Neyla said, looking at Zeke for the first sincere time with a look of understanding. "Let's go, we have other matters to deal with."

"Oh course," the leopard said. "I understand."

That was what happened the previous night. It was once nighttime again and the two of them were investigating an area where there had been a fire a long time ago. Here was the sight of Interpol Lab Number 26, where there was supposedly a "secret experiment" that they feared could destroy all of them. Neyla felt she could use this opportunity to take over Interpol by finding this experiment.

"Have you found anything yet?" she asked he searching leopard.

"No, not yet," he spoke back. "Why is it that we are looking for again?"

"Some sort of experiment, that's what."

"But…isn't that against regulations to be snooping around in Interpol business and experimentations? I mean we could both get in a hell lot of trouble if we did."

"Zeke, this is for _our _business," Neyla put on her charm. "I am just trying to find a way that we can help Interpol by looking through some of their old wares. But…if it's that risky, are you trying to say that you'd abandon me?"

"NO! Perish such a thought," Zeke said, not implying what she had said. "I was just saying that we'd better be careful, that's all."

"Good, keep looking. Tell me if you find anything."

Zeke resumed the task of search and was now digging with a shovel that he had found amongst the wreckage. He was checking over every little detail and object that he could find in the derelict former laboratory. The leopard did not want to disappoint the love of his life, which he was unaware that she was using him.

"Funny…I never noticed that before," he murmured, looking over a large hidden capsule buried in dirt. He began to dig more furiously until his shovel tapped the glass covering of the capsule, making a small crack.

"What was that sound?" Neyla asked.

"I don't know."

Zeke continued to uncover this new discovery until he saw that it was a long capsule as much as it was large. Then, he noticed a silhouette of something inside. There was something inside the glass prison.

"What the hell?" Zeke said, uncovering a button.

Figuring that Neyla would want to see this, he pressed it.

A bulky cloud of steam came from the capsule's sudden opening. Zeke was blinded in the thick warm vapor and was starting to cough. He looked through the fog and noticed that there was something inside after all.

There was a black and red hedgehog standing before him.

"Oh God, don't kill me," Zeke pleaded rather foolishly.

"You have released me," the hedgehog spoke in a calm voice. "You have released me from that hellish prison. For that, I shall promise my service to your every desire."

"Every desire?" Zeke asked to himself. "Hmm…"

"What is going on there? What is with all this wretched steam? Eke, what is going on down there?"

"MASTER!" the hedgehog dove at Neyla, slamming her down. "I will protect you from the intruder! I have apprehended the intruder!"

"Let go of me! Zeke! ZEKE! GET HIM OFF OF ME!" Neyla screamed at him.

"Let her go," Zeke said.

"As you wish," the hedgehog released the struggling Neyla on Zeke's command.

"What, is he working for you?" she asked the leopard.

"Well…um…you see, the thing is…" he tried to explain. "I sort of…let him go form this capsule I found…and he listens to everything I tell him…"

"And you didn't tell me about this?" she demanded, coming closer for the first time in a non-seductive manner. "I told you to tell me everything, you idiot!"

She struck him across the cheek.

Then, Neyla was flying across the ground.

"Huh?" Zeke asked, confused.

He looked at the hedgehog that was now closing his steaming fist.

"You are safe, Master," he said.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Shadow, Master. I have been of great service to you, I hope?"

"I see…could you not attack her again?"

"Is she an ally?" Shadow asked.

"Yes."

"Then, why did she strike you, Master?"

"I did something that annoyed her and I paid for it. I deserved to get beaten around for disappointing her."

Neyla was getting up when she had heard that.

"Zeke, I'm so sorry," she said, walking to the leopard and planting a kiss on his cheek where she had hit him. "I didn't know what I was thinking."

"It's alright, I probably deserved that anyway," he blushed.

"So…is she an ally?" Shadow asked.

"Yes, whatever she says to do, I say to do," Zeke answered. "Understand?"

Shadow nodded. "Of course, Master."

"Yes, but my name is Zeke, okay? And she is Neyla, understand?"

"Understood, Master and Mistress," the hedgehog bowed to both of them. "How may I be of service?"

Zeke was about to say something when a very familiar van was coming near the site on the road. Neyla saw it and a nasty thought came to mind.

"You are to serve us, correct?" she asked Shadow.

"Yes, Mistress Neyla."

"Then you can by destroying the occupants of that van over there."

She pointed to the blue van passing by.

"As you wish," Shadow ran towards the van, disappearing in seconds.

"Where is he?" Sly said, looking over the road and everything. It had been about a whole day since Will had just disappeared from the alley outside the van. Murray was also frantically looking as well as driving the van. Bentley and Blake were checking any possibility that they may have missed. Blake may have been upset with Will, but he became very worried when his friend just vanished.

"Do you see him, Murray?" Blake asked for the umpteenth time.

"Nothing yet, Blake. I still need to-."

The van suddenly screeched to a halt and remained still.

"Murray, why did you stop?" Bentley inquired. "We still haven't found Will yet."

"It's not me!" Murray protested. "Something outside just stopped the van."

"What do you mean?"

Sly peered outside the windshield and noticed that there _was_ something out there holding the van in its place. The figure was black with red markings on its body and it looked like some kind of hedgehog.

"What is that thing?" Murray panicked.

Just as Murray had said that, the windshield shattered into many tiny shards like a crystal rain. Murray threw his hands to shield his face from the blow and soon found himself thrown backwards into the floor.

"I have been sent by my Master and Mistress to destroy you," the hedgehog spoke. "I am obliged to fulfill that request by eliminating you off the face of the earth!"

"Sent by your Master and Mistress, eh?" Blake spoke back. "Well, we'll deal with you for what you did to Murray! I'm going to kick your ass!"

"Blake, no!" Sly called out.

The crossbreed ignored Sly and dove at the hedgehog. The attacker evaded the dive and slammed his fist into Blake's back, causing the crossbreed to wail in pain. Blake was thrown backwards into the wrecked dashboard and then slammed into the driver's seat. He tried swinging his cane into the hedgehog's face, but it was easily avoided. The attacker seized a hold of the second blow sent by the cane. Within the blink of an eye, the cane shattered just as badly as the windshield had.

"Blake!" Sly turned onto the attacker.

"Do not try to fight," the hedgehog said. "It will only make things worse for you who are destined to depart from this world by orders of my Master and Mistress."

"Leave him alone!"

Sly swung the cane abruptly into the hedgehog's skull, which actually released a blow onto the assailant's head. The attacker fell backwards and off of Blake, so the crossbreed managed to escape the grasp.

"You dare to fight destiny?" the hedgehog asked.

"Who the hell are you?" Sly prepared to strike.

"I am Shadow, and it is the will of those who saved me that I carry out the task they have given me! I shall not fail them!"

"Well, Shadow, prepare to get your ass kicked."

"If an ass is to be kicked, it will be yours," Shadow threatened.

Shadow was about to send a blow to Sly when the raccoon sent his cane into his chest. The hedgehog found himself falling to the earth, but leapt back up to fight the thief. Swiftly, he delivered a blow to Sly's head, sending the Master Thief falling to the ground.

"For you, death will be swift," Shadow said.

"_YOU LEAVE HIM ALONE!_"

A third cane brought itself into the back of Shadow's head. The hedgehog began to flail when it came down again.

"Don't you ever touch my friends again," said Willard Tanaka furiously.

"My God, Will!" Bentley said, emerging from his hiding place. "We thought you were a goner or something awful by now."

"No, Bentley, I'm fine, not like this guy's going to be for messing with my friends!"

"You dare interfere with my Master's will?" Shadow growled. "If you are trying to make futile efforts at defeating me, then I shall destroy you!"

The hedgehog sent his fist into Will's chest and the raccoon started to flinch. Will swung his cane into Shadow's face, causing a bloody gash to be formed on his flesh. He struck Will in the torso once more and Will was feeling pain throughout his whole body. The hedgehog thought he had triumphed when he saw Will Tanaka flinch, but the raccoon rapped his sore knuckles into Shadow's wound.

"You give up now?" Will asked.

"Never! It is the will of my Master and Mistress!"

The hedgehog threw his knee into Will's groin, causing the raccoon to wince and then howl in pain. Shadow saw his chance and sent another fist to Will's face, sending the raccoon down to earth. Will tried to get up when Shadow kicked him hard in the side of his head. The raccoon collapsed into a tired and slightly bleeding heap.

"Now, you shall die," Shadow said.

Shadow rose his foot with intention to crush Will's head with it…

He suddenly howled in pain and grabbed his head with his hands.

Will looked up and saw a _gorgeous_ cheetah girl holding up her hand in Shadow's direction. It looked as though she was making the hedgehog shriek in agony and clutch his head with his hands. Shadow began to wince as the blood form his wound began to leak a little into his eyes.

"You shall not harm Willard Tanaka," the cheetah girl said. "You shall not harm any member of the Cooper Gang, foul assailant! We shall not stand by while you harm the people we have agreed to aid!"

"Stop it, damn!" Shadow winced.

Will saw his chance.

"This is for Sly, you idiot bastard!" the raccoon swung the cane into Shadow's face once more. The hedgehog was weakened enough by whatever it was that the cheetah girl did that he went out cold. Shadow flew onto the earth and he sprawled out into a heap. There was now a small, but steady blood flow from his face.

"Are you alright?"

Will turned and saw that the cheetah girl came to him. She seemed to be examining Will for any possible wounds on him and didn't seem to find any. He could see that she had beautiful cobalt eyes that really fit her attractiveness. The cheetah girl smiled at him and then proceeded to checking up on the others.

"Thanks," Bentley said, helping Murray up. "I don't know how to repay you."

"You don't have to," she said. "It was what Nathan told me to do."

"Wait, that would mean that you're an Outsider?" Will stated.

She nodded. "Yeah, it's a good thing that I came on time, or else that hedgehog probably would have killed you and the others." She helped Sly and Blake to their feet.

"Who are you?" Sly asked her.

"My name is Susannah Payne. Nathan told me to check up on you guys and it's very lucky that I found you."

She laughed and looked at Blake.

"Oh, I'm sorry he hurt you guys," Susannah said. "I guess I should have tried to get here earlier."

"Guys! Shadow is waking up!" Bentley yelled.

The hedgehog blinked and found himself held by the throat. The holder was Sly with a look of great irritation on his face.

"Who sent you?"

"I shall not say."

"Who sent you? Answer me!" Sly brandished his trademark cane furiously.

"Fine, if you must know, it was my Master and my Mistress, as I have told you before."

"Who are they?"

"My Master calls himself "Zeke", and my Mistress is named "Neyla"," the hedgehog answered him.

Sly froze. Neyla was back?

"Did he just say Neyla was his Mistress?" Bentley asked in shock. "She must have ordered him to get revenge on us. But where did he come from?"

"Beats me, but if she really is back, we'd better get ready," Sly said, releasing Shadow from his tough grip.

"I have failed," the hedgehog said, leaving the scene quickly.

Will turned his attention to Susannah.

"What did you do to him back there? That technique that caused him to grab his head like that and scream?"

"Oh that," Susannah blushed. "I was using a mind grip that strikes the mind and injures the head of the attacker in the process. I am a mystic." She stated, noticing Will's questioning look.

"Well, whatever it was, we're grateful or your help," Sly said. "Tell Nathan we said thanks."

"No problem," Susannah blushed. "I am always happy to help."

With that, she disappeared as quickly as she had appeared.


	18. Secrets and Betrayal

**Chapter Eighteen: **Secrets and Betrayal

Carmelita was pretty upset that night. She had several criminals, including Cooper, right where she wanted them. But what the hell went wrong with the plan?

_Neyla was there too._

The vixen was also thinking about that as well. What would a lowlife like Neyla be doing in Beyond the Sunset that night? And was that messed-up batgirl working with her too? There had to be something that she was missing, but Carmelita didn't know what. The tigress had done crazy things in the past, but this seemed to be the most unusual. Was she trying to kill the panther that she and Ben were to arrest?

_Ben._

He seemed so eager to leave that night after the couple had left the main building to her vehicle. The Husky was insisting that they were to leave after they had nearly caught Cain Connell for his crime as the Reborn leader.

_Is something troubling him?_

Carmelita shook her head and decided to see him.

* * *

_A tiger in about his late thirties was sitting in a large and expensive leather chair with a fresh cigar from the pack between his fingers. He inhaled deeply on the cigar, relishing the exotic flavor that came out. His mind was contemplating the errors that his crew had made and how many of them were complete imbeciles. The cloud of smoke began to cover the atmosphere of the room like a white fog._

_"SIR!"_

_"What is it?" the tiger demanded._

_"We have completed the task of removing the "Boss". He will no longer be a problem for you, Pharos."_

_"Roderick, I congratulate you for killing that imbecile Cain Connell. He was merely a little pawn I used to cover my own tracks. I gave him complete power over _my_ organization, and he blew his cover at that restaurant. I couldn't dare risk my entire foundation to crumble over that pathetic loss of secrecy. I really appreciate that you eliminated that bastard while you could before he would ruin us."_

_"Um, that is the problem, Pharos. Cain isn't dead."_

_"WHAT?"_

_"He had a foolish tigress as his lover," Roderick O' Donnell stated. "That idiot Larxena sank to an even greater rank in stupidity for loving that fool."_

_"Then why didn't you kill her too?"_

_"We tried, Pharos, but she is a mystic. We were powerless to her incredible mental strength that I always thought was a nonexistent piece of crap. Turns out I was wrong and she managed to drag Cain away before we could do him in."_

_Pharos looked at the wolf with great anger, great enough to crush the cigar in his fist._

_"Then, what about the Tanaka boy and the amulet?"_

_"He was taken in by the Cooper Gang. That raccoon idiot took him under his wing and made him a member of the Gang. Willard Tanaka still possess the amulet, which I don't understand why you want it so badly."_

_Pharos sighed. "I told you time and time again, I need that amulet for my final act to get revenge on the people of Paris and to annihilate every idiot that stands in my way. That amulet belonged to the Barlow family for generations and you assholes lost it in an alley where the damn teenager picked it up! I need you to bring me that boy!"_

_Pharos slammed his fist on the arm of the chair, splitting the leather covering._

_"Do not fail me again, or I'll personally kill each and everyone of you idiots! Bring the boy or else!"_

_"Yes, Pharos, we will not fail you again."_

_"Yes, I see. By the way, how is that Inspector you and Cameron Broderick threatened on the plane working out? Is he ready?"_

_"He will give us the signal," Roderick grinned, removing a detonator switch from his pocket. "Or else, we will kill everyone that we put those mechanical latch bombs in a satisfying and destructive explosion. That Interpol twit wouldn't want that to happen."_

_"Call him in and see," Pharos ordered._

_"As you wish," Roderick left the room._

* * *

Seth was going over what he had heard that day he had seen Eva Ami once more.

_"You know, if I didn't still like you, I could kill you right now, Seth Garrison."_

_"Your threats are as empty as your head, Eva."_

_"How cruel, Seth, especially since I loved you more than ever."_

_"Shut up!"_

_"I did all that love for you and this is how you repay me?"_

_"You don't deserve it, you bitch."_

"Ooh, my Seth's gotten vicious. I'm not afraid of you and I know you don't mean to hurt me or fight me. You're weak, Seth! Weak to me!"

He winced at the painful memory of his past that he hadn't told anyone. Not even Carmelita, the only person he truly confided in, knew about that terrible experience he had suffered a year back. If he could change the past, he would, but that was an impossibility.

_Seth Garrison met Eva Ami a year before the whole Clockwerk return occurred. Her boyfriend at this party Seth had just arrived at a few minutes previously recently dumped the Siberian tigress. He saw her sobbing quietly near the door leading into the main hall and went to her side._

_"You okay?" he asked her._

_"No, I'm not," the tigress replied._

_Seth didn't know what to do. He looked at her and saw that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her eyes were like twin pools of clear cerulean water that he felt like he could drown in them. The tears in her eyes were magnifying the beauty that was already strong. _

_"Uh…" he found himself tongue-tied. He was attracted to her._

_"You don't have to say anything," she said. "I know that you will just leave me like my boyfriend did."_

_"NO, I wouldn't!" he said, wanting her even more now._

_"Then, leave me alone."_

_Seth began to walk away when he felt a tug on his arm._

_"Please don't leave me, I'm sorry! I don't want to be alone!"_

_"But you said-."_

_"Never mind what I said, I want you to stay with me. Please?"_

_Seth turned to declare a firm refusal when he saw those eyes and found himself lost in them once more. _

_"Okay, I'll stay."_

_"Thanks, by the way, my name is Eva Ami."_

_"Seth Garrison, nice to meet you, Eva," he said taking her soft and pleasantly smooth hand in his. "I didn't think you'd be so willing to go on."_

_"One must not stay with the past, right?" she asked him, her eyes sending his heart into a beating frenzy._

_"Right, I just glad I could help."_

_"Yes, I am grateful."_

_"So am I, I mean, being with a beautiful woman-."_

_Seth was cut off when Eva stuck her tongue down his throat so suddenly. The tigress began to massage his shoulders and he felt relaxed and aroused by these actions that he began to kiss back, deeper than he thought he could accomplish. _

_That's how it all began, Seth and Eva became lovers that night and enemies the next._

_Seth was enjoying himself immensely. He had a sexy girlfriend that he could pamper and love for as long as an eternity was in love's view. He thought he had it all when the party ended and he walked out with his arm around Eva._

_"Would you like to come to my place?" she offered._

_"No thanks," he responded. "I have things that I have to do tomorrow and I have to get going."_

_"But, I thought you liked me."_

_"I do, but I have to handle some other stuff, okay?"_

_"But-."_

_"I'll see you again soon," he kissed her goodbye and walked away. He was about halfway through the parking lot when he felt a sudden sharp pain in the back of his neck. Seth winced and started to feel dizzy at the same time. The world seemed to be melting form his view as he felt his legs weakening and failing to keep him supported. He collapsed and passed out on the asphalt below him. _

_When he reopened his eyes, his head was hurting rather severely. He looked around and saw only a few scented candles spread all around him. He tried to get up, but found that to be impossible for some reason. The panther looked and found that both of his wrists had been strapped down to this mattress that he was lying on top of. He tried to move his legs and found that the same thing had been done to his ankles. _

_"It's about time you woke up, Seth."_

_Eva stood before him, wearing nothing but a black robe. She smiled at him and giggled slightly as he tried to free himself from the restraints. _

_"Don't bother, you'll only hurt yourself."_

_"Eva, what is going on? Why am I strapped to this mattress, and-OH GOD, WHERE THE HELL ARE MY CLOTHES?"_

_"Relax, sexy," she said. "You won't be needing them."_

_Seth looked at her with eyes full of shock as she stripped herself of the robe and advanced onto him._

_The next morning, he opened his eyes to find himself lying on some sort of couch with his clothes on this time and no restraints. He thought that what had happened was some sort of dream, but then, where was he?_

_He turned to a table where there was a piece of paper lying on its side. He took it in his hands and was shocked to read its contents. It was a listing of names that had two checks for "Seduced" and "Killed" by all but his own. He looked the lone check with a pit of fear in his chest._

Oh my God, she's an assassin! _His mind screamed. _She seduced you to kill you. Her boyfriend didn't dump her, SHE KILLED HIM!

_At that moment, he knew it was over._

A year later in the present, Seth shook his head in anger, trying to rid himself of those thoughts and memories of that incident. She was dead to him and that was that.

"Eva…if you really still love me, why did you try to kill me?" he asked no one.

He was thinking when a figure came from behind him.

"I'm sorry, Seth," it said in a masculine voice.

The panther turned, only to be socked in the head.

* * *

"I have failed to kill them, Master and Mistress."

"It's alright, Shadow. We will forgive you this time."

"That is all I would ask, Mistress Neyla."

"Very good, now go."

Shadow the hedgehog walked away from Neyla just as Zeke had come in.

"You wanted to see me, Neyla?" he asked.

"Yes, Zeke, it is about a matter of business."

"Like what?" the leopard asked the tigress.

"Like the matter that Rouge is out there and could reveal the entire operation to everyone if she is not stopped. Have you seen her?"

Zeke shook his head.

"Then, I need another favor of you."

"Anything, just name it."

Neyla went behind Zeke and locked the door.

"I'm ready for what you want."

"Really, Zeke?"

"Yeah, I'll just do anything."

"Freeze."

"Yeah-what?"

He turned and saw that she was pointing a .45 at him, pulling the hammer back.

"Zeke Dawson, you are under arrest. You're not really an Interpol crony, but one that works for the Outsiders!"

Zeke gaped. "But how did you? But-how-why-uh?"

"Believe me, it was easy," she said, pushing the barrel of the gun to the leopard's forehead. "Now, you can do me a little favor and I won't arrest you."

"What?"

"I want you to tell me what the Outsiders are up to with sending a complete idiot like you to work at Interpol."

Zeke's heart sank. "Idiot?"

"Tell me and I may not blow your cover."

"But I can't do that! That would be betrayal against them. Nathan put enough trust on me to do this so we could see what Interpol was doing without the risk of losing some of our people. I can't tell you what or why, that would-."

Neyla became bored of his rambling and lowered the gun. She grabbed his face and French-kissed him instantly. She hated doing stuff like this, but if the Outsiders were going to interfere with her plan, she had to know. He would tell her anyway if she did something like this to encourage him. After all, he was a love blind idiot that she had wrapped around her finger.

She roughly broke the kiss, leaving the leopard stunned.

"You used tongue…how much do you want to know?"

"Everything," she grinned. "And if you continue to be a good boy, I may do that again."

* * *

Carmelita noticed that the door to Seth's office was wide open. She looked inside and saw the scenes of an ambush in the room. She became worried for his sake and was starting to overturn every stone and corner for clues.

"Seth? Are you okay?"

"Seth is not here right now."

She turned and saw Ben standing in the doorway.

"Ben, I was so worried. Where is he?"

"He's not here, Carmelita."

"Ben, I know that. Where is he?" she asked him again.

Benjamin Cole just stared at her with those icy blue eyes of his. He had a look of worry in her eyes. He suddenly embraced her tightly.

"Ben, what are you doing?"

"I'm sorry, Carmelita," he whispered into her ear. "I'm really sorry."

In the hallway, there were three wolves in black uniforms that appeared with guns armed and ready for fire.

"You have done us well, Benjamin," Roderick O' Donnell said.

Carmelita stared in shock at Ben.

"Ben, what is the meaning of this?"

"I'm really sorry…I didn't have a choice…it was either the Inspectors or every innocent person on the flight here. I just couldn't let them…they hijacked the plane and threatened to crash it if I didn't lead them to the Inspectors. I didn't think they could, but they nearly did! I just couldn't let people die! Not the innocent people who have nothing to do with it! I'm sorry, Carmelita, I really am."

Cameron Broderick and the other wolf, Jackson Gannon, charged Carmelita. The vixen was seized by them and held in an agonizing way. The Husky looked at her with eyes begging forgiveness that even he knew he would never get.

"Carmelita…I'm sorry."

"Where are Russell and Curt?" she blurted.

"Inspectors Lamar and Montego are already in our custody, thanks to Benjamin Cole here," Roderick said evilly. "Don't worry, you'll be meeting them shortly as well as that idiot panther that decided to follow you will."

"Seth is not an Inspector! He has nothing to do with this!"

"_Au contraire_, Ms. Fox, he is as much of an enemy as you."

She turned to Ben as they began to drag her away and he followed.

"Carmelita, I'm sorry…I really am," the Husky said.

The vixen glared at him, feeling both anger and hurt.

"_BASTARD!" _she yelled, gaining release of her hand and slamming it across his face.

The Husky froze, feeling some blood leaking slightly from the wound. The vixen was held back once more and she could only glare at him. To Ben, however, that glare was as painful as the wound on his face. He had betrayed the woman he loved and those whom trusted him.

"I'm sorry, _mi amiga_-."

"I am not your friend! You are nothing to me! How could you, you double-crossing ass? I thought you loved me!"

Ben froze again as the Reborn troops carried Carmelita away.

"I do," he whispered softly and followed them.


	19. Girl at the Window

**Chapter Nineteen: **Girl at the Window

The lioness was sobbing softly behind those fiery bars that encaged her within this prison she wanted more than life just to leave. She knew that the flames would keep her held within, but also would the anger and aggressiveness of her captor.

_"Emma, I need you here."_

_"Please, Mr. Barlow, not again."_

_"Get here, you little bitch! Get here, or I will kill another! I will kill another civilian that will have you to blame for their demise!"_

_"Please, not another person! For the love of God, no!"_

_"Then, come to the bed, my sweet. Come to the bed and let me have my fun."_

The process was always the same. The tiger that held her here would threaten to take another's life and she would come. She already felt the guilt of that twelve innocent people had been murdered because of her refusal. Emma would come to the large velvet bed where he would be waiting for her. Either she would lay herself on the bed with herself exposed or he would force her to doing it. She hated this imprisonment, being condemned to lay back and allow a man twice her age to rape her. Sadly, she didn't have a choice in the matter, pleasing was the only thing he could do to keep him from killing others.

Her silky golden hair covered her pretty face and she wished that she would die and escape this horrible trouble she had landed in. Emma Hannah Campbell was held hostage to be used as a sex toy to a vicious and perverted tiger. She really wanted to kill him every time he molested her or forced his disgusting tongue into her mouth. Emma wanted to be freed of her captor and escape this horrible fate. But how would she do it?

"Emma…come here please…"

_Oh God, not again,_ she mentally begged. _Please not again._

"Please, Mr. Barlow…I don't want to do this anymore."

"I am the one in control here, Emma, so get over here now!"

"NO! I don't want anymore of your crap!" she yelled at him. "I want no more to be your sex toy you can throw around as you please!"

"Emma, you underestimate what I can do."

"_FUCK OFF!_" the lioness roared at him.

Pharos Barlow came through the fiery gates that bound her to this room. He struck here with an accurate blow to her chest. She fell onto the ground where violently began to thrash her and kick her around. Emma was never before in so much pain like now as he continued to rain his fury upon her. The lioness tried to shield herself, but was unsuccessful in that attempt.

"Had enough, child?" he asked her.

Emma whimpered softly. She hated him, but gave him the response he wanted because she couldn't take any more pain.

"I thought so. Come, Emma, come with me."

"As you wish," she said weakly, getting up and following him to the room where she would once again be violated against her will.

* * *

"That guy almost killed us."

"Yeah, I could see that."

Willard brushed off some of the dirt he gotten on him during the confrontation with Shadow earlier. The hedgehog had really done a number on the team and the van in that little act of "following his Master's will". Will couldn't believe that the hedgehog would even listen to someone that made Sly and the others shudder. He had no idea who this Neyla person was, but she sounded like bad news to him.

"Thank God that sexy cheetah girl saved our asses," Blake was commenting. "That beauty really can pack a punch with those "mental-thingies" she said she had."

"She is a mystic, and we all are grateful," Bentley said, cleaning his glasses. "It's a good thing that Nathan Garrison kept his oath to help us, or we'd probably would have been done for."

"You can say that again," Blake agreed.

"Who is this Neyla?" Will asked.

"A tigress who used to work for Interpol that betrayed us and everyone else that she worked for," Sly said angrily. "She used us all for her scheme to conquer the world and she ended up becoming one with Clockwerk in the process."

"But, I thought Clockwerk exploded in the French Canal."

"Yes, but she was inside. If that hedgehog is speaking the truth, she may be out there, waiting for a chance of revenge," Bentley stated.

"Revenge?"

"Yes, Will, we were the ones that foiled her plans."

"But how could she survive an explosion like that?"

"I don't know. My guess is that she may have had some help."

Will took this information in. If this Neyla person was alive after mysteriously escaping a fiery and apocalyptic detonation, she must be looking for revenge.

"That must be why Shadow attacked you guys."

"That would be the best explanation for him calling her his "Mistress"," Bentley agreed.

"Yeah, I guess it would," Will began to think…

Until that same sexy cheetah girl came up again.

"Are you guys okay?" she asked them.

"Never better," Sly answered in his usual way.

"I think we may have found a link to the Reborn," Susannah told them.

"Say what?" Blake jumped up.

"Yeah, I know. Nathan and the Calla brothers were investigating that one site on Gresham Square and found this weird passageway underneath the Center. Caleb says that there have been witnesses that say there was this black-robed tiger coming in and out from there. We may have found a central gathering point."

"Then, let's go," Will said, standing up. "Let's take those guys down a notch."

* * *

"Please," Emma begged as Pharos drove his smoker's tongue into her mouth. He seized her hair and was grabbing as though it was a gathering of snakes. She was tearing up from the secondhand smoke that rose from his nude body and his breath. The lioness couldn't understand why it had to be her that was in this mess.

"Please, enough," she begged again.

He seemed to acknowledge her by removing himself from her naked body. He began to suit up slightly when she spoke again.

"Why does it have to be me?"

"Because, my dear, you are my payback against your mother," he responded.

"What the hell did my mother do to you?"

"Your mother, Camille Devon, was a beautiful woman," Pharos began. "She was a Monet water lily of perfection whose beauty couldn't be described even if several poets worked for several years. She was supposed to marry me on the orders of our parents and I would heavily oblige that she would. However, she decided to run off with that asshole lion Garth Campbell and ended up having you. I wanted her so badly, but wanted to get revenge on her for leaving me. What better way to get back at a dead woman than to assault her little girl?"

"You sick…she probably never even loved you!"

"Oh, I _knew _that, but I didn't care. Your mother is the one to blame for what I have put you through time and time again."

"What?" Emma was wide-eyed.

"Yes, I'm getting even. Killing them wasn't enough."

"You bastard! You murdered my parents!"

"Yes, but that won't matter because you will meet them shortly."

"What?"

Pharos seized her by her arm and dragged the lioness back into the prison room that she had been in only a little while before. He thrust her forward into the chamber where the flames were beginning to build up on the sides.

"I'm afraid I no longer need or want you."

"What?"

"Yes, it was fun and arousing for a while, but the fun is over. Goodbye, Emma Hannah Campbell, it was fun knowing and raping you. Give your parents my best."

Emma tried to turn around and reach the exit, but was thrown back when a wall of fire built up in front of it. Her skin and fur felt warm and she was starting to sweat violently.

_I'm going to die, I'm going to die,_ she thought.

Emma began to scream as the flames came closer.

* * *

"This is it," Susannah pointed out a long and dark passageway that looked as though it had been dug out manually. The path went a ways until it met dark and endless abysses that probably lead to nowhere.

"This is it?" Will asked.

Susannah nodded.

Will looked down into the tunnel and saw that there was some sort of light coming from one of the ends.

"Hey, what's that light?"

"I don't know, but we will investigate."

The Gang and Susannah turned to see Nathan and the Calla brothers standing behind them. The panther walked to the entrance and looked down the black tunnel.

He whistled. "That goes quite a ways. But Will is right, there is a light towards the end of that tunnel. I'm going in."

"Let me come with you," Susannah grabbed Nathan's arm.

"Relax, Susannah, I'll be fine," he laughed. "But if you're that concerned, I might need you as an escort down there. I'd hate to get lonely."

Susannah giggled at that remark and kissed him.

"If only I had that kind of charm," Will thought he heard Blake say.

Nathan and Susannah began to walk forward into the blackness. Nathan turned around and signaled for Will and Sly to follow. The raccoons recognized this and followed through into the darkness.

As they went further in, the light Will had seen was getting brighter against the presence of the blackness. The light was a bright orange color like that of flames rising quickly and viciously like a wildfire.

"I think that there may be a little problem," Nathan stated.

"What is that? Is there a fire?" Will asked.

"I'm not sure," the panther answered, taking another look around. "I think that it may be another Reborn plot. Or possibly a trap of some kind."

Susannah sniffed the air.

"Do you guys smell smoke?" she asked.

* * *

Emma was crying, maybe hoping that her tears would put out the fire that tried to engulf her. The lioness was losing any hope she had left and figured that it would be the end before she would realize the truth of things.

Her life flashed before her eyes and she saw an old photograph that Pharos had destroyed years before. It had the image of her parents Garth Campbell and Camille Devon holding Emma as an infant. The setting was a couple weeks after her birth in New York's Central Park. She and her parents were on a picnic that day and she would never forget them.

_"Don't give up," _her mother's voice said. _"Don't let that meanie win."_

_"Yes, Emma," _her father's voice said. _"Keep going and never let anything stop you from surviving. You are my daughter and you shall live to womanhood and beyond that."_

_"You will have a happy life…with a man."_

_"Yes, a man that's good enough for my little girl."_

Emma almost laughed. "I'm not a little girl anymore, Dad."

_"You will always be our little girl," _Garth and Camille's voices said in unison. _"You make us happy and proud that you will be the one that will make it from these troubled times. You can make it, Emma. We're counting on you."_

"I won't let you down. I love you, Mom and Dad."

_"We love you too, Emma. Now, get out of there!"_

Emma rose and looked out this window-shaped pattern that showed her only means of escape. She reached for the edge of the window and tried to free herself, but found it hard to do just that.

"Damn it, open!" she yelled. "Open up!"

She slammed her fist through the window and found that there were more flames building up around her feet. Emma began to scream.

"Help me, please! Anybody! _HELP ME, PLEASE!_"

She wailed and cried, feeling herself fall.

* * *

Nathan looked at a window that had materialized before the four of them. The panther could see that there was someone in there. He could tell.

"There's someone in there!" he yelled, trying to reach the window's front. Sadly, he burned himself a little on the glass as he placed his hand on it.

"Ow! What the-?" he called out.

"Here, let me," Susannah held out her hands like she did earlier.

The flames began to move to the sides and separate in neat little forms, giving Nathan time to seize hold of the glass.

He smashed the glass with his fist.

A rain of glass showered on him as he reached into the room and looked around for the captive prisoner. He saw a lioness passed out on the floor.

"Well well well, what have we here?" he said.

"Nathan, hurry! I can only hold it for so long!"

"Yeah, I hear you."

Nathan reached over and wrapped an arm around the lioness' limp body. She was surprisingly light and Nathan was getting her back through in no time.

"Will, Sly…get her to the floor. Give her some air."

The raccoons both nodded and took a hold of the unconscious lioness, laying her gently on the floor. She started to cough as she awoke. Nathan knelt beside her and looked over the awaking lioness.

He came closer to check for wounds.

Suddenly, she awoke and seized Nathan's face, locking him into a passionate and grateful kiss. Nathan was surprised by the event, but took it in pleasurable stride.

"Thank you-thank you," she said between lip locks. "Thank you so much."

"You're-welcome," he replied when she released.

"Ahem," Susannah cleared her throat.

"Oh right, sorry," the lioness released Nathan's face. "I didn't mean to do that, I was just so grateful that you saved my life and I was just-."

"It's alright, I enjoyed it," Nathan laughed.

"Who are you?" Sly asked the lioness, helping her up with Nathan.

"My name is Emma Hannah Campbell, and I was nearly killed by Pharos."

"Pharos who?" Will asked.

"Pharos Barlow, he used me as a sex toy to get even with my mother and he tried to kill me until you came along and saved me. I am ever so grateful."

"He did what to you?" Will asked.

"I'll explain later," she said. "We have to get going."

"Whoa, what's the rush?" Sly asked her.

"Pharos is planning to destroy Paris and we must get going," Emma said, starting to move further down into the tunnel.

"Destroy Paris? That can't happen!" Susannah moaned. "Where else will I do my shopping sprees?"

"You'll have more to worry about than where to buy clothes if she's right about this guy," Nathan said firmly. "Cooper, I suggest you get your whole Gang down here and tell Caleb to contact the others. We have work to do."

"Like what?" Will asked.

Nathan turned to him.

"Like trying to prevent the Apocalypse from making an early start," he responded.


	20. The Agony of Affection

**Chapter Twenty: **The Agony of Affection

Ben felt as though the world was going to swallow him whole, and why not? He betrayed everyone who ever trusted him and there were many people like that in the fiery abyss called Hell. The Husky's blood ran cold until it seemed to turn to ice. His face was still sore from where Carmelita had struck him, and even though the blood stopped flowing, he could still feel immense pain in his heart. For him, that was enough.

Russell was slammed against the wall of a passageway that none of them had seen before while they were here in Paris. The Golden Retriever attempted to escape his captors and was thrown against the wall with great force. He winced as pain erupted through his body and Curtis soon felt the same as the German Shepard made the same bold, but unsuccessful attempt as his partner.

"Damn it," Russell swore. "I didn't think we could trust that Husky bastard."

"What were we thinking to trust him?" Curtis contributed to Russell's remark.

"He…was…using us…so the Reborn could capture us for whatever it is they want! I swear to God that if I ever get out of here, I will personally kill that Husky myself!"

"Yeah, but I want to-OUCH!"

"Less talking, more walking," Jackson growled, giving the wrist bound Inspector a punch in the back of his head. "I really don't need to hear your crap."

Cameron Broderick came around the corner with Carmelita in hand. The vixen struggled in his grasp, but was as successful in escaping as her partners were. The wolf had that lusty look to kill in his eyes and he figured that after Pharos Barlow had his doing with them, he would be able to finish them off himself.

"Where are we taking them anyway?" he asked Jackson.

"You heard Roderick, we're to take them to the basement of Gresham Square Central. Pharos has some sort of plan, but I don't know what the hell it could be. All I know is that he wants these Inspectors for some reason or another."

"Can I kill one of them first?"

"No, you dumb ass," Jackson delivered an irritated punch to Cameron's face. "Is that all you can think about in that stupid little head of yours?"

"I kill, therefore I am!" Cameron shouted idiotically.

This guy annoyed Carmelita. All he could ever think about was ways that he could kill someone and constantly asked if he had permission to do it. Already her mind was in great turmoil because of what her friend-no, not friend-her traitorous partner had done to her and the others. She was concerned too for the welfare of her partners, especially Seth who looked like he took a severe beating judging by the passed out and messed up panther carried under a brown cougar member's grasp.

"We're almost there, beautiful," Cameron whispered into an angry Carmelita's ear. "We are almost to the part where you get killed."

"Shut up, idiot!" the brown cougar yelled.

"Why don't you, asswipe?" Cameron countered.

"Idiots!" Roderick bellowed from the front of the group. "Why don't you all shut up?"

Curtis scanned the surroundings and saw that there was nothing but darkness ahead of them. Maybe…

"You ain't getting away!" Jackson yelled at him, slamming another fist in the back of Curtis' skull. "None of us are going to be fooled by that old trick!"

Ben was at the back, looking upon Carmelita and feeling that pain in his heart of knowing he did something wrong.

_Oh course you did,_ his mind said. _You backstabbed your partners and the woman you've wanted to be with ever since you first met her! You had a wonderful relationship with her that you just blew away like that! Do you know what a sorry state you really are? You are nothing more than a worthless traitor scum that people find on the street! Do the right thing and save them or else!_

"But, I was trying to help all those people," he murmured to himself. "They were going to kill all those people on the plane."

_How stupid are you? The Reborn just took you for a ride, Ben, for a ride! They were only trying to trick you into doing their dirty work and they succeeded! What kind of policeman are you if you can't even decipher the difference between the real and the fake? Or the truth and deception? You aren't even worthy of being dubbed an "Inspector" if you can't even think straight in times of crisis! What are you, Benjamin Nicholas Cole? I'll tell you, you're a worthless piece of filth! You hear me? A WORTHLESS PIECE OF FILTH!_

"Shut up!" Ben yelled aloud.

"Cole, who are you talking to back there?" Roderick called from up front.

"I'll show you who's a worthless piece of filth!" Ben drew his gun forcefully and fired several bullets into Jackson Gannon's torso. The wolf began to scream aloud when Ben fired another shot into his mouth, barely avoided hitting Curtis in the process. The German Shepard rolled to the ground to dodge the shots.

"Big mistake, Cole!" the brown cougar yelled.

The brown cougar drew his weapon and fired once. The bullet pierced Ben's shoulder and he felt pain for a moment before he returned fire into the brown cougar's head. The captor slumped down on impact and collapsed into a heap. Another troop tried to draw his weapon, but was instantly slain by a barrage of bullets that flew from the barrel of Ben's gun.

Cameron laughed. "Shoot at me and the girl gets it!"

Carmelita had enough; she slammed her elbow into Cameron's chest, escaping her captor's grasp. The wolf was surprised when she escaped and he charged her, only to be thrown off by a rogue bullet. He turned to Ben.

"Roderick, he's defected or something!" he yelled.

"I can see that, but come forth," Roderick answered. "We have other manners to attend to than these pathetic creatures."

"But the Boss said-."

"He said that we are to follow his orders, now GO!"

Cameron began to follow, despite his desire to tear each of them apart.

"We can't let them get too far," Russell said as Ben tore off the bindings to his wrists. "They are plotting something and we have to get to the bottom of this."

"Russ is right," Curtis agreed. "We have to follow."

"We can't do it alone though."

They looked and saw Seth reawake from his unconscious state and look around. The panther saw Ben and growled.

"Hey, you struck me!"

"I'll explain later," Ben said, untying the panther. "Now, we need you to go back for help from Interpol."

"What and leave you guys here to fight here yourselves?"

"We are highly skilled Inspectors and you are a Constable in training. We need you to go back and contact some Interpol mercenaries for our aid. We may be dealing with more than just a few thugs here and there. Besides, you are youngest of us and still have more of your life ahead of you, now go, Seth," Ben instructed.

Seth couldn't argue with that, Ben made a good point. The panther was the youngest with still a long path of life ahead of him. He looked at Carmelita and she motioned at him to proceed with the plan. He acknowledged that expression with a nod.

"I won't let you down," he said before sprinting off into the darkness.

* * *

"Okay, I have to find the office and tell Chief Walker," Seth stated, walking out of the passageway's entrance.

He walked into the area of Gresham Square Central when a white blur struck him. He felt himself falling to the ground with great momentum and crashed into the pavement. He tried to rise when the figure struck him again, sending him once more to the ground.

"Wish to continue this game?"

He knew that voice.

"Really, Seth, you make too much a challenge out of this."

"Shut it, Eva. I need to get going!"

"Pity, because I need to kill you."

"What?"

Seth found himself struck down by Eva's fist in his face. She turned on him and he found himself in a world of hurt when she began to strike more and more before he could respond. He cried out in anger and agony, but found it to only encourage to bring more on until he managed to seize hold of her fist and slammed one of his own into her chest, sending her falling to the earth.

"Ooh, my Seth's gotten more vicious," she teased, adding a seductive purr to the end of the statement. "Looks like you may be a great challenge for me after all."

"Get away, I'm serious!"

"And so am I. My employer has been royally pissed because of my failure to eliminate you before you could sign into this gig. Pity, I was really starting to like you a lot, Seth."

"Yeah, I see. So, that's why you raped me?"

"Oh, about that," Eva said, clutching his throat with a sudden swing of her hand. Seth found himself gagging before he could do anything about prevention of the attack. His breath was going swiftly and he felt like he didn't have much time left. But he couldn't die here, because they were counting on him.

"I…can't…die…now…they're…counting…on…me…" he managed to get out.

"Well, we can't do anything about that, now can we?" Eva laughed, tightening her grip and sending her leg into the spot between his legs. Seth cried out in pain and he was losing all breath that he could collect.

"I groped you with my leg," Eva laughed. "Just like I groped you with my body. But before you die, you must know something. That was some wonderful sex we had and it really brought to actually feeling something for you, you pitiful waste. I actually felt _affections_ for you unlike any of my other clients, I felt weak to you for once in my entire life. I actually felt weak to the likes of some filth like you and do you know why? Because I care."

"Then…why…are…you…trying…to…kill…me?"

"Because it is my job, that's why! Now listen up! Because of what happened that night, I was forced out of my job about nine months later."

"What?"

"Seth, I was _pregnant_."

Seth choked; he never thought that particular event would lead to this. It was one thing to be raped, but to become a father without even knowing was an entirely different story. He didn't realize that his little incident would throw him into fatherhood like a snap of his fingers. Seth Abel Garrison never expected this news.

"You're…lying…" he denied her comment.

"No, I'm not," she growled at him. "We have a son whom I named Sean and left to the care of a New York orphanage. He was a handsome young panther that carried the stripes of my forefathers upon his backside! He is our son and it is your fault for all of the pain that I went through because of it!"

Seth growled back and unexpectedly broke her hold, throwing her to the ground.

"My fault, my fault? It is not my fault that you had to go that far!"

Eva rose and charged at him, but the panther avoided her. The tigress flew straight into the ground when Seth threw himself upon her. He began to throw fists in her face.

"You-raped-me-it's-not-my-fault-you-got-pregnant! You-gave-away-our-flesh-and-blood-to-some-complete-strangers-and-didn't-tell-me!"

"Stop it or you'll kill her."

Seth froze and looked up at the source of that quote. There before them both stood a tall, fiery tiger with a blade drawn in his hands.

"Oh well, it doesn't matter. You will die anyway, Seth Garrison."

"How do you-?"

"Please, I would recognize one of Adlai Garrison's sons if I was to see one. You know, that old bastard could never fit up to great standards like I could."

"Who are you?" Seth asked, demanding an answer.

"I am Pharos Barlow, ruler of the Reborn and your assassin!"

The tiger drew and swung the blade at Seth.

Only, it struck someone else.

"SETH!" Eva shrieked as she threw herself in the path of the blade and received the blow with fatal force. She was thrown to the ground in a bleeding mass of tigress and all the panther could do was stare at her with disbelief and shock. He looked upon her body laying there and glared at the tiger.

"Oh, a love interest, too bad it didn't last long," Pharos taunted.

"You monster!" Seth yelled, rushing at the tiger with all energy. He knew that he had to get help for Carmelita and the others, but now, it was Eva and avenging her unexpected act as a savior that occupied his mind. He dove into the Pharos' chest and the tiger threw down the blade into Seth's arm, causing a red cut to form. The panther ignored this and struck the beast again, knocking the weapon from his hands this time. Pharos cried out and swore angrily as he bounded to seize hold of his attacker.

Seth Garrison never felt angrier in his life than he did now. He struck the tiger's jaw and the fist recoiled in his face. The panther flinched, allowing the tiger to strike again upon his torso. Pharos dove at the panther's head and slammed it with the firmness of his palm. In a slight daze, Seth tried to avoid the blow, but was hit again until he managed to hit the ground and evaded the final strike intended to be fatal.

"Never mind, I have other work," the tiger said, leaving the scene.

"Hey, get back here!" Seth yelled, but Pharos was gone.

He climbed up onto his legs and walked to the base of the Center where Eva Ami was lying in a bloody mess. Seth knelt down next to her and looked upon her face, which he found more beautiful than he ever did before.

"Seth…" she choked.

"You didn't have to do that," he consoled her, stroking her cheek with his delicate hand. "You didn't have to sacrifice yourself for someone you were just going to kill anyway."

"Seth, I'm sorry," she whimpered, tears coming down her face. "I didn't mean to attack you…that was the old Eva Ami trying to get from me to kill you. I'm really sorry that I did those things to you…I really am."

"Don't worry about it," he said, feeling something a little more humane than his previous emotions towards her: pity and affection. "I am just glad to know that you cared."

"Yes. Seth, before I die…I want you to promise that you'll raise Sean for me."

Seth thought about it and answered her. "Yes, I promise."

"Thank you…I'm sorry…I love you…"

"I know."

He bent down and kissed her gentle lips as she lay there dying. Seth kissed Eva passionately until he could not feel her kissing back. Then, he proceeded to getting the reinforcements requested of him earlier.

_"Yes, I promise."_

* * *

Carmelita had never felt more relieved than she did now. Benjamin Cole had made up for what he had done wrong ad she felt grateful that he was back on their side. Russell and Curtis were a little bit harder to accept Ben's act of courage, but eventually understood the conflict that led him to betrayal. He was thinking about the welfare of others and that was completely noble and understandable.

"I guess I had you all wrong, Ben. I didn't realize that you were only trying to think of what was best for the other people around you. I'm sorry that I judged you so harshly."

"I cannot blame you," Ben said. "I wouldn't trust me either."

"I'm also sorry I slapped you like that."

"Relax," the Husky said, holding up a hand. "Like I said, if anything, I did deserve it for believing what those Reborn criminals dished out. I just hope that Seth can get to there without getting killed, we may really need the help dealing with criminals like them."

Carmelita nodded in agreement and walked beside him. He looked at her and smiled, knowing that he had done well to make up for his crime. It was just a mutual feeling that spread out upon the four of them. The vixen came to him and kissed the spot where she had struck him. He blushed like crazy, his white fur turning red.

"We should be almost to wherever they said they were going," Curtis said, examining the growing light from the other end of the passageway.

"Get ready," Russell said, pulling the hammer back on his gun. "This may turn ugly when we surface."

"I'm ready," Carmelita answered, removing the concealed 9mm from her thigh.

Ben nodded, not saying anything.

They proceeded through the exit when he seemed to notice something unseen by the others in his group. The Husky froze and stopped all movements, his heart beating at a faster pace than usual.

_I swear to God I heard something…_

Ben looked around the area where there was a large and round central vicinity like a barren field frozen with snow. He looked around at the base of the Gresham Square Central and found there to be no one like his suspicions had informed him. The Husky was still suspicious of this area, his gut insisting that they were not alone.

Then he felt it, the presence of an assassin waiting in the dark.

"_DOWN!_" he yelled at Carmelita, throwing the vixen to the ground.

"Ben, what is-?" she asked until a single sound interrupted her.

A bullet flew into Ben's chest, tearing a hole. He cried out and another bullet lodged itself into his chest above his rapidly beating heart. A final trio of bullets flew from the weapon and lodged themselves into Ben's skull, in which the Husky let out another scream of agony. He collapsed to the earth right before her.

"_BEN!_" she yelled out her friend/lover's name.

The Husky was lying in a puddle of his own blood, coughing up the excess red fluid that collected in his mouth. The assassin revealed himself as a wolf too well known.

"Damn, wrong one. Oh well, a kill is a kill."

Cameron Broderick turned and let lose another round of bullets at the remaining three Inspectors, causing them to dive to the ground. Curtis returned the fire, only to be struck in the shoulder with one of them. Russell also tried to return fire, but was nailed in the knee.

"Let's see…the German…the Golden…hmm…where's the Sexy?" Cameron growled.

"Bastard!"

Cameron turned to see Carmelita coming right at him. He anticipated this attack and charged himself into her. She flew backwards onto the ground and he leapt on top of her. Furious, she attempted to fire her 9mm, but found it to be thrown from her grasp by the savage wolf. She looked into that deranged face with a mixture of angry and fearful emotions.

"Well, in a bit of trouble, aren't we?" he taunted her. "You know, I only managed to taste the shoulder roast the other night. Now, I'm going for the whole buffet!"

"You sick freak," she managed to get out.

"Yeah, maybe I am, but what are you, lunchmeat?"

She felt for any available weapon and found one tucked in her side holster.

"You like to eat stuff, huh? Well, CHEW ON THIS!"

Carmelita uncovered her shock pistol and fired it directly into Cameron's mouth. The wolf was thrown off of her and was starting to constantly thrash around and flail. He did this for a few seconds before-_BOOM_-his head exploded in a fiery mess. The corpse of the killer of William Tanaka, Marina Tanaka, and now Benjamin Cole burst into flames. Carmelita watched this for a moment and rose to her feet. With that said and done, she walked over to where Ben was laying.

"Ben…are you still with us?" she asked, gently stroking the Husky's cheek.

"Kind…off…" he slowly replied. "Am…I…crying? I…can't…see…"

She looked and saw that he wasn't crying. One of the shots that landed into his skull was now dripping blood over his eyes. He couldn't see because his eyes were also bleeding like the rest of him.

"Not really…Ben, why?"

"Because…my eyes…feel wet."

"No, I mean, why did you take that? You shouldn't have."

"I owe you my life, Carmelita," the Husky answered her firmly. "I owe…you for everything that I've ever accomplished. You…are my…reason to live. You are the…reason…I wake up every…morning…and live…I was inspired by…your kindness…and friendship…I owe you my life. I want to make it up…to…you for what…I've…done wrong. I'm…sorry…I love you…"

The Husky smiled weakly and ceased all movements forever. Carmelita could only cry to herself, some of those tears staining the white fur of the corpse that was once her friend, partner, and lover. She just couldn't hold in these feelings of sadness any longer. Russell managed to get up and walk to her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"We have to go now," he told her. "They will be expecting us."

"Yeah, we have to go," Curtis added, getting up as well and making his way to her. "We cannot remain here forever."

"I'm sorry about what happened to Ben, but we must go on."

"Yeah, Russell, I'm coming."

With that, the trio made their way out of there to a gathering up ahead.


	21. Into the Inferno

**Chapter Twenty-One: **Into the Inferno

Sly Cooper had never seen anything like it.

Neither had Willard Tanaka or Blake Montag.

Nor Bentley or Murray for that matter.

In the Central area, there was a large roaring tiger statue carved from bronze. The statue was so beautifully done that one might suspect it to be some sort of religious icon in another time long ago. The craftsmanship was so well done that it would win first place in any show that it would be submitted to. Nathan, Emma, Susannah, and the Calla brothers were positioned there along with a teenage gray wolf and another cheetah girl.

"Gage Creed and Rebecca Parker," Nathan addressed them. "Are you ready for the upcoming task ahead of you?"

"Yes," the wolf named Gage replied.

"Yes," the cheetah named Rebecca replied.

"Has Zeke called back yet?" Gage asked.

"No, he hasn't," Nathan replied. "I haven't heard a single word out of him about Interpol since he went in there."

"There's one of you in Interpol?" Bentley asked with curiosity.

"Yes, he is Ezekiel "Zeke" Dawson and he's our disguise specialist. We sent him in to get a better look on Interpol and see what info they may have on us as well as the Reborn."

"That's pretty clever, but what if he gets caught?"

"Zeke hasn't gotten caught yet."

If only Nathan knew about what his "disguise specialist" had fallen into. Zeke was already feeling extremely guilty inside for what he had done. Because of his idiotic lust for Neyla's attention and affection, he had blown the cover of the entire Outsiders operation and it was his entire fault.

He sat in his crouched position, ready to strike. In his hand, he had a .44 ready to fire when necessary. Neyla was looking over the landscape of the Gresham Square Center with a pair of binoculars. Shadow was resting himself on the base of the roof. He was looking at the sky, awaiting the next order he would be given by his Master and Mistress.

"Shadow," Neyla ordered.

The hedgehog rose. "Yes, Mistress?"

"I know that you failed to kill the Cooper Gang the first time."

Shadow frowned. "My apologies, Mistress."

"Not necessary, as there is a way you can make it up," Neyla told him. "They are down in the Center where the large bronze tiger statue is located. Can you see it?"

"Yes, Mistress."

"Proceed to it."

"Yes, Mistress."

The hedgehog leapt from the top of the building and crossed into the pathway where the three Inspectors were walking.

"What the hell is that?" Curtis yelled.

"Criminal!" Carmelita yelled at Shadow, who turned on her remark.

"You accuse me of the simple crime of wanting to please my Master and Mistress? That is criminal, not what I intend to do."

"And just who is your Master and Mistress?" the vixen demanded.

"I always thought you were a curious girl."

Carmelita looked up and saw Neyla making her way down to the area beside Shadow.

"You! I knew you had something to do with this!"

"Come now, Carmelita," Neyla laughed. "That's not very nice. Shadow, get her!"

The hedgehog charged directly at Carmelita and she found herself firing rounds at him. The unusual thing was that the bullets seemed to bounce right off of Shadow's body without even hurting him. He was now enraged as he slammed a foot into her chest, causing the vixen to fall to the ground. Curtis ran forward, swinging his fists and was slammed in the face. The German Shepard managed to seize hold of the hedgehog's foot and tired to twist it. Shadow saw this and brought his other knee into Curtis' chest, throwing him back and releasing the grip.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Russell yelled at Neyla.

"I am just getting even," Neyla said, unleashing her bullwhip into Russell's arm, creating a long gash in the process. With that and the wounded knee, the Golden Retriever went down to the earth. Neyla stood over him, grinning with contempt over him.

"You are all pathetic, willing to die for Carmelita's needs."

She was about to attack when a gunshot erupted in the peaceful surroundings. She drew her whip to strike when another bullet flew by her head. Ahead, Seth Garrison stood with a 9mm in his hand and several gorilla mercenaries behind him.

"Don't touch them again, bitch," Seth growled.

"Oh look, the cavalry is here. Shadow!"

The hedgehog rose and dove at one of the mercenaries. The gorilla tried to counter the attack, but found it impossible when the attacker curled into a ball and slammed into his chest. One went down and the others began to follow in striking the hedgehog, but failing each time. Seth fired his weapon at Neyla, who had taken off in another direction already.

"Get back here!" Seth growled. "I'm not done with you!"

"If you want me, you'll have to catch me!" Neyla taunted him.

"Constable Garrison…"

Seth turned to the voice and saw none other than Chief Walker standing there.

"What is all of this?"

"Sir, we were under attack. It seems that Neyla has defected the force. She sent this hedgehog onto our troops and tried to kill Carmelita, Russell, and Curtis. Both of them have taken off for Gresham Square Central."

"Then why are we delaying, move out, men!" Jud Walker commanded.

The gorilla mercenaries began to deploy into the area with Chief Walker following. Seth went over and helped his partners up to their feet. Carmelita was injured, but Russell and Curtis were in worse conditions with their bullet wounds and the attack wounds to go with them. The vixen looked at the direction Neyla had gone with great anger.

"I knew she was nothing but a no-good filth! I'm going to kill her!"

"Carmelita, we have to move."

"Where have you been, Seth?" she asked him in the same tone.

"It took me a while because I had to fight this Pharos Barlow guy who says he's in charge of this whole organization. Also, I lost someone I cared deeply about in the process!"

Carmelita paused when she heard him say that. It was not likely that he would make such a statement, but then again, she didn't know everything about him.

"Seth, I'm sorry."

"Forget it, we have to go."

She nodded to show she understood his point. The vixen regained her footing and moved forward where Chief Walker had stopped in his place with the mercenaries lined up by his sides.

"What's going on? Why have you stopped?" she inquired.

A loud eruption answered for her.

* * *

"What do you think this thing is for?" Susannah pondered as she and Rebecca began to examine the statue.

"Some sort of religious act, I would say," Rebecca stated.

"I don't know what, but it may be some sort of-."

Susannah was cut off in a scream that escaped her mouth. A gunshot fired and Caleb Calla fell forward onto his knees and began to fall into death.

"Pity, I thought the Outsiders were stronger than this."

All turned to the source of that voice and found it to be a large red tiger glaring down upon them. His amber eyes scanned the area of its tenants with utter disgust as though they were only insignificant insects needing to be crushed under the might of his foot. In his hands, he held a spare sword that Seth Garrison before wasn't even aware of when he fought the tiger beast. Pharos Barlow revealed it in the light to where it glowed a shiny death. To his side was Roderick O' Donnell with a steaming .44 in his grasp. Behind the two of them were an entire battalion of Reborn troops ready to attack at command.

"I'll make this simple, Cooper. Hand over the Tanaka kid and we may not kill all of you like we did to Caleb Calla a moment ago," he growled.

"Never! I can't do that!" Sly growled back.

"Oh really? Not even to save your own Gang? Not even to save the place you call home or the people who live around you? You are making a foolish decision, Cooper?"

"You'd do it anyway if we gave him to you or not," Blake declared.

"Fools! You can't see for what errors you have made now! For that, you must die!"

The Reborn troops ambushed the group and began to attack with their will. Nathan and the remaining Outsiders prepared themselves for the fight and began to strike with all force they possessed. In a sign of defense, Will began to charge at Pharos himself.

"Why the heck do you even want me for anyway? There are tons of other people that you can choose, so why does it have to be me?" Willard questioned the tiger in fight.

"Foolish boy, it is but the destiny that the Barlow family has been seeking for years and years before me. You possess the amulet of my family and I am wanting it back!"

"Give it to you, I don't think so!"

"You shall not pass!" the tiger growled, swinging the sword at him.

Will ran underneath the course of the blade and slammed a kick into the torso of the tiger. Pharos let out a grunt and tried to regain his footing he lost in the act. Will took advantage of this and struck his fist into the face of the killer. The raccoon dodged the oncoming attack of the tiger's expected growing wrath. This little moment was cut off when the tiger managed to land a blow on Will's face.

"Don't try to do something you can't!" Pharos roared. "It will only lead to your failure…and the inevitable doom that will follow."

"Shut up," Will sent another strike into the beast's face.

Pharos stumbled backwards and Will thought he was triumphant until there was a distant sound of a chain breaking.

_The amulet just broke off._

Pharos cried out in anger as he threw the raccoon teen aside and ran to where the amulet was fallen upon the ground.

"See how easy that was? Why didn't you do that earlier?"

"Get away from that!" Will yelled, realizing the error he had made.

"It's mine!" Pharos proclaimed triumphantly. "I shall destroy you all!"

The tiger began to run towards the Center and Will followed in pursuit. In the midst of the Reborn members fighting the others, there was a commotion as Pharos passed through. Pharos cried triumphantly that he now possessed the amulet and that he would destroy them all. The raccoon tried to knock the amulet free from his grasp, but failed to catch the villain before he reached the statue in the Center.

"What are you even going to do with that?" Will questioned.

"You'll see. YOU'LL ALL SEE!" the tiger bellowed.

He placed the amulet into a slot in the tiger's open mouth and there was a flash of vermilion light.

"You'll…all…SEE…" the tiger growled, his voice deepening with each word.

The tiger known as Pharos Barlow disappeared in a large cloud of smoke that choked almost everyone in the vicinity. He reappeared as a giant tiger covered in flames covering his entire body and beyond. His fists transformed into fireballs as big and threatening as his amber-turned-bright crimson eyes that looked upon all of them with victory.

"I am the BEAST! I am the BEAST BARLOW! I SHALL DESTROY YOU ALL!" he proclaimed.

"Oh crap," Will muttered.

* * *

"Chief Walker, what is that thing?"

Jud Walker could only guess what the giant fire creature was. He looked at it with confusion and awe, wondering if it was friend or foe.

"What is that thing?" Carmelita asked.

"I…don't…know…Inspector Lamar, sent some of the troops on that side of the beast and try to figure out how to destroy it! That thing looks very threatening to the people of Paris and we must stop it! Inspector Fox, you with Inspectors Montego and Cole-."

"Benjamin Cole is dead," Curtis said. "One of the Reborn troops killed him."

"Oh, I see…great condolences on my part…Armando is going to be pissed about this. Fox and Montego, guide Garrison and some troops to the other side adjacent to Lamar. I will remain here with the remainder to deal with the beast from here. We must-."

_"I am the BEAST! I am the BEAST BARLOW! I SHALL DESTROY YOU ALL!"_

"Move quickly!" Chief Walker ordered.

The Interpol battalion scattered out amongst themselves, ready for war.

* * *

"Neyla, where are we going?"

"Zeke, shut up!"

"But, Neyla-."

"I said shut up, Zeke!"

The tigress was a little irritated with the leopard and his constant questioning. Ever since she had sent Shadow to attack and she sent herself as well, he had been questioning her every move. She understood that it was because he cared for her and wanted the best, but enough is enough! Neyla rolled her eyes when she heard him say that he wanted her to stop because she might get harmed in the process of the chase.

"Neyla…please, enough of this."

"Zeke, shut up!"

"But-."

With that, she struck the leopard across the face with a swift blow of her hand. He felt the searing pain flash by him and his heart seemed to be breaking at the same exact moment. If Shadow was present, he may have struck Neyla down for hitting his Master. But, Shadow wasn't here and Neyla was now beating the leopard slightly.

"Why can't you ever shut up?" she growled at him. "Why must you question every damn move I make like some damn cop? Why, Ezekiel Dawson, WHY?"

"Please, Neyla…I just care about you, that's all…"

"Shut up with this "caring" crap! I am so sick of this! If I hear one more word about your feelings, I swear to God that I'll rip your damn heart out your chest and show you what a real heartbreaker is! Is that what you want to see? IS IT?"

"No…" he whimpered.

"Good, now shut up. We have other manners to tend to. Now, where is that Pharos?"

"Why do you want to find him?"

"What did I say about you talking?" Neyla slapped Zeke again. "I don't want to hear it! But if you must know, I want to see what sort of power he may be after and if I can harness it for my own use!"

Zeke just stared at her with shock. He felt a growing pain in his chest and he wanted it to end. He wanted to stop suffering now and get on with living a happy life he thought he would never have the chance to do so. The leopard was in heartache to hear her say those horrible things about him and what he had done just because he cared about her. It was an outrage to hear that all of his efforts to please and help her were useless in her view. He felt as though he wanted to just drop dead right this instant.

He thought that until a large flame built up around where Neyla was standing. The tigress was caught by surprise and she found herself falling into the base of the ground and surrounded by fire. Neyla couldn't get up and was infuriated, but possibly scared at the same time. A little ember singed her left foot, causing her to wince in pain and tear up.

Zeke was watching this and thought that he could merely watch her burn up.

_That's what you want her to do, right? She hurt you and you want her to pay for it, is that right? Well, just sit back and watch the fireworks and let the bitch burn. _His brain seemed to be telling him.

_What are you saying? _The leopard's heart stated. _Are you just going to let her die in there like a criminal? My God, you are so low that no one could believe. I can't believe you are going to let her die just because you're selfish and only think of yourself! What is wrong with you, Zeke Dawson? What the hell is wrong with you?_

_She hurt us, Zeke. She used you._

_That may be so, but you still care for her even after she used you. It doesn't matter what you believe right now, you still care about her and you are going to help her right now in her time of need._

_Help her? HELP HER? What's wrong with you?_

_Listen to me, Zeke…you still care about her no matter what._

"I still care!" he yelled as he dove into the flames.

The leopard frantically reached for Neyla and managed to drag her out of the fiery pit. He also burned himself in the process, but ignored these wounds. Those would heal, but his heart and soul would die if Neyla was burnt to death.

"What the-? Why? What?" she asked him, not believing what just happened. "After what I did to you-using you as a lackey, turning you against your group, making you leak Outsider secrets-why are you helping me?"

The leopard looked at her for a moment…then he grabbed her face. With a rather quick movement, he forced his tongue into her mouth, locking her lips into a sweet kiss. He kept this up for a few breathtaking moments until he released, leaving her stunned.

"Because I care…remember that…" he whispered.

With that, Zeke took off leaving her and the bad memories behind.

* * *

"What do we do, Constable Garrison?" a mercenary asked.

Seth was thinking over his original plans and was wondering which of them would work. There was the option of a frontal assault, but it was extremely risky and it would take a lot of effort. On the other hand, there was the option of getting underneath, but all of the flames that were engulfing the place canceled out that plan.

"Fire any projectile at that thing's head…it has to be a weak spot."

"Yes, Constable Garrison."

The mercenary that had spoken rose to his feet and made his way to a concealed jetpack they often used in times like these. He positioned himself for the long fight that was bound to occur. Others followed his command as he rose above them to the air in a flying squadron. On the count of three, they fired all available missiles at the beast's head. The monster turned to them all and bellowed aloud, spewing flames.

"_DO NOT INTERFERE WE ME, OR I SHALL DESTROY YOU ALL! YOU SHALL ALL PERISH IN THE FIERY FLAME AND FALL TO YOUR DOOM IN THE GREAT ABYSS! PREPARE TO MEET YOUR MAKER, INFIDELS!_"

As with that said and done, the monster began to spew flames from its mouth upon several of the flying units. The mercenaries were going down by the second and the few remaining were giving all that they could dish out onto the beast's head. Many of them burnt up in painful looking situations and they were losing.

Seth looked at this with horror and felt the guilt that he was the one who sent them up there to their dooms. He could only stare at this with disbelief and collapsed onto the ground, thinking of horrible things.

"BROTHER!"

Seth broke his concentration and saw a familiar panther standing up there looking down upon him.

"Nathan?"

"Long time, no see, eh, brother?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Same reason as you, trying to kill that thing before it kills all of us! Now listen, my Gang and the Cooper Gang are in the Center trying to take this thing down from the inside! It's tricky and we may require your help!"

"There is no way I'm helping a criminal! I am an Interpol cop who-."

"Cut that Interpol crap now and just get on with it! You aren't going to be anything if we delay any longer! Okay, we have to take down a statue in the Center! It appears to be the root source of his power!"

"Fine…I'm coming, brother."

Seth began to walk towards where his brother Nathan was standing and removed his gun from his holster. The building heat was making the task of carrying the weapon unbearable, and it would be easier if he had it out for any real emergencies.

"I'm coming…brother."

"I can see you, Seth…come a little closer."

"Brother, I'm coming."

"Come a little-AAK!"

Nathan gasped for air a few moments before a fiery ball threw itself into him.

"BROTHER! NATHAN!" Seth was yelling.

He ran up to where his brother was once standing. His sight was weakening from the heat rising and the lights brightening, but he could see…his brother laying on the pavement…

"BROTHER!" he yelled out.

But he was unheard as he collapsed and blacked out from the pressure that finally won over him.

* * *

"STRIKE ME AND I SHALL CRUSH YOU!"

"Shut up!" Will yelled, trying to see past the bright lights and the extreme heat. He could feel the sweat on the back of his neck evaporate. His cane felt like it would burn his hands off if he weren't wearing blue gloves like Sly was. He couldn't see anything and he was going blind.

"WILL! CAN YOU HEAR ME?" Blake called from a distance.

"What?" he said.

"WILL, CAN YOU HEAR ME?"

"Yeah, I can, Blake! What is it?"

"Bentley and I are planting bombs underneath the foundation! You need to clear the area immediately! Understand?"

"NO-Yes!"

"Good, heads up!"

"INFIDELS, THINK YOU CAN OVERCOME ME?"

Pharos was coming for him and Will could feel the extreme heat running down his neck and his sides. He swung his cane, hoping it would ward off the enemy, but it failed. The tiger giant was coming at him and there seemed to be no end to it all. His insides were screaming and he was almost to that point as well.

_Blake…whatever you and Bentley came up with had better work!_

"Oh God!" Will cried out when the flames torched his back.

"I SHALL DESTROY YOU!" Pharos yelled.

"I don't think so!" Will yelled, swinging his cane into the tiger beast's face. The creature winced and growled in pain as he flew back up and roared in agony.

"Blake, NOW!" Will yelled out.

_BOOM!_

There was water rushing all over the place, calming all flames that tried to engulf the place. Whatever it was that Bentley and Blake had done, it was strongly effective.

"WHAT? NO! IT CAN'T BE! I AM THE SUPREME RULER! I AM THE-!"

It was like watching a rainstorm on a forest fire, the flames were dying instantly and Pharos was wailing as though he was in some severe pain. The tiger was howling as he mightiness was dying as he surely was too.

* * *

Willard Tanaka was weak with the running.

Sly Cooper ran to his side.

Blake Montag and Bentley hoped for the best.

Carmelita Montoya Fox and Curtis Montego watched the flames die.

Seth Garrison was almost passed out as the smoke covered him and Nathan.

Neyla was already running from her post.

Zeke Dawson was also running, but not away.

Shadow the Hedgehog looked upon the dying flames for any signs of his Masters.

Susannah Payne and the other Outsiders looked at this with awe.

Russell Lamar and Jud Walker alike lowered their attack weapons.

* * *

Will stood up and looked over to where Pharos was standing now. The tiger was wailing still.

"Hey, did the tiger like his bath?" Will taunted.

"You ruined everything!" Pharos growled angrily. "It wasn't supposed to be this way!"

"Yeah, it's over, Pharos!" Sly yelled.

The tiger glared at them.

"It's not over yet!" he growled.

What happened next happened extremely quickly.

Pharos charged at the raccoons and they dove for the sides. Willard Tanaka eyed the statue in the corner and began to make his way to it.

"Get away from there!" the tiger yelled.

"Without the amulet, you have nothing…" Will said boldly.

"Stay away!"

"Ready for this, Pharos?"

"STAY AWAY!"

Will ran for the statue in the Center and Pharos pursued him in a dramatic chase. The tiger tried to reach for the amulet in the bronze animal's mouth, but Will grabbed for it first. The amulet flew into the air after both combatants reached for it and it fell to the earth. Upon impact, it shattered with all force of the world.

"NO!"

Pharos began to scream as he suddenly began to…disintegrate? The tiger was vanishing from sight and he was screaming as it happened. His fur seemed to just all disappear as he was being pulled into the statue itself. When the process had been completed, a shocking result appeared.

A skeleton stood where Pharos once was and collapsed under the pressure.

The statue was glowing with immense energy and it appeared to be pulsate on its own judging by the light patterns. But none had to worry about that for long, because Sly swung his family cane into the base of the statue and it shattered as easily as the amulet had. It collapsed into fragments that developed into smaller and smaller fragments along its course. Will breathed out and fell down to his knees.

He looked at Sly.

"Is it over, Sly?"

"Yes, Will, it's over," Sly told him.

* * *

Seth opened his eyes and saw that Carmelita was standing over him with Curtis.

"Are you alright, Seth? What happened?"

"This fireball came down on my brother and I and-OH GOD! Nathan!"

He ran over to where his brother was laying. The panther was laughing a little bit weakly as he looked up at them.

"Hello, brother…"

"What is this? Are you okay? Why did you do that, brother?"

"Do what?"

"Give yourself up like that?"

Nathan weakly laughed. "So, you saw through my little act."

"I am your brother, Nathan."

"Yes, well, I did it for you because you have everything…"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Seth asked in shock. "You have power in your own group, you have money beyond everything, you have many people who support you, shy did you do it, brother?"

"You have a good heart, Seth. You are a policeman doing his job and I'm nothing but a two-bit thief like the old times. If anything, _I_ am the one that deserves to die."

"What?"

"You are the better one of us. You know better from right and wrong and I don't. I followed Dad's path because I thought it was the right way. You proved me wrong, Seth, and I am grateful for that."

"Nathan…I didn't know."

"It's alright, it's about my time…protect Emma for me, would you? Goodbye, brother."

With that, one of Adlai Garrison's sons left this world and Seth was short a brother. He fell to tears.

"Even if he was a criminal, he didn't deserve this…"

"I know, Seth, I know."

He felt a comforting hand on his shoulder and saw Carmelita looking back at him. The vixen looked back at him with concern in her eyes.

She embraced the panther. "It's going to be okay, Seth. It's going to be okay."

He nodded in agreement and went on with life.


	22. Saying Goodbye

**Chapter Twenty-Two: **Saying Goodbye

Willard Tanaka received several burns on his body that he winced while in movement. The wounds were not very serious, but enough that get Will to moan in slight pain. He could still walk and he would continue walking, unrestricted by his burns. The raccoon kept up his determination and look where it got him: he was now a hero alongside the great Sly Cooper.

Blake Montag was worried for the welfare of his best friend. Will was in bad shape when Sly emerged carrying his weakened body out of the burnt and singed Gresham Square Center. The main objective was to destroy the Reborn and that appeared to have been completed with the unusual demise of Pharos Barlow when all of the troops that remained alive or at least conscious managed to escape. The Interpol squad broke into the Center and found that there were about half of the estimated Reborn troops were still present.

Will was sitting down by the bumper of the van. He had another bandage wrapped around his head and his cane that Sly crafted for his use was lying against the van on its side. It was moments like this that made Will thank God he was alive. He could just sit like that forever in this peaceful setting.

"Will?"

He turned to the one who spoke.

"What, Blake?"

"I was just thinking about what we've been through all of this time…our reunion, Beyond the Sunset, the Reborn, the Outsiders…by the way, how are they doing?"

"They kind of broke up after the death of their leader Nathan. I can't help but feel a little sorry, I mean, losing Nathan to them would be like us losing Sly. It's like losing a great leader and great friend."

"Do you think any of his girlfriends would be interested?"

"Blake, think about it. One: they're older than you by three or four years. Two: they probably are heavily grieved by his death and aren't quite up for dating anyone else right now. And, three: is that all you ever think about?"

"Yes," Blake said. "You got a problem with that?"

"No, no…I just was thinking about maybe…taking a break…"

"What do you mean? Like quitting the Cooper Gang? But, Will, that's, like, your life's dream and you want to quit already?"

"No, I don't mean it that way. I mean it like in the sense that we kind of need a little break from the world for right now, am I right? These wounds will need some time to heal and I figure I could use a vacation after all of this."

"Good point."

"And by I, I mean _we_."

"You want me to come?" Blake asked.

"Why not, you're like my best friend. I couldn't just leave you here by yourself, you wouldn't know what to do in the first place."

"Oh ha-ha, very funny," Blake said sarcastically.

"No, I'm just saying that maybe I could use a traveling friend for this and there might be some attractive women along the way."

Blake's eyes widened. "You serious."

"Dead serious."

The crossbreed was excited; he never felt so much of an urge.

"Then, let's go, my friend."

The two of them went inside the van to where Sly had been standing the whole time. It appeared like he had heard the whole conversation and laughed.

"So, you need a break, huh?"

"Well, I don't mean like _quitting_ or anything, just some time off, that's all," the young raccoon answered, realizing that he was caught.

"Yeah, maybe some time off might be good for you guys. It might give a chance to improve your skills and pull off some major heists by yourselves," the Master Thief quoted.

"So, is it alright if we can take a vacation for like a…month or so?"

"Yeah, I think that would work out. See you then, but first…" Sly reached into his pocket for a scrap of paper with small print on it. "Here's the address for when you come back to Paris."

"Thanks, Sly. Thanks for everything."

With that, two of the greatest thieves to follow the Master left to start their own adventures in their own escapades that may qualify for that of the legacies of the Thievius Raccoonus.

* * *

"So, you're going back?"

"I'm afraid so, Carmelita. As much as I like Paris, New York needs me to return to the old homestead. But, I am much obliged that you allowed me to remain for the time we dealt with those Reborn crooks. I don't think we'll ever see them again," Russell Lamar remarked as he hauled his single carryon baggage to _Portail Vingt-neuf _or Gate Twenty-Nine.

Carmelita had left her job early so she could see Russell to his Gate at the Airport. The Golden Retriever had seen to having the surprisingly small amount of luggage loaded onto the overseas flight to New York in the United States. He seemed to be a little upset that he had to leave on a shorter notice then planned, but with the unexpected murder of Benjamin Cole, the Chief of New York Police Department would not take any chances of losing the best Inspector he had in his career. The vixen wanted to say goodbye personally to him before he was to leave here.

"Where's Curtis?" she asked.

"Oh, the Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department requested that he would come back first since he now has the longest way to go because of…well…you know…"

"It's alright, Russell. He's in a better place now," Carmelita's eyes tearing up slightly.

"Yes, I bet he is. Anyway, Curtis had to leave on an earlier flight than I did, so he told me to tell you goodbye and that he would return sometime soon. He also wanted to send his condolences about Ben. I-oh, my flight's now boarding. Tell Seth I said goodbye for me, would you? Where is he anyway?"

"Seth went to the funeral they held for his brother. He's been there since about seven or seven-thirty," she answered him.

"Well, tell him I said goodbye, okay? I have to go now."

"I will tell him. Goodbye, Russell Lamar."

"Goodbye to you too, Carmelita Montoya Fox. It has been a pleasure working with you. Oh-before I forget."

Suddenly, Russell leaned forward and kissed her. The kiss lasted only a few moments before he broke it, leaving Carmelita in a daze. The Golden Retriever left through the Gate and disappeared into the sky only minutes later. She watched him go.

"Maybe, we'll meet again someday, Russell Lamar," she said, watching the airliner vanish in the bright blue ocean like sky. "Maybe…"

She left the airport and back to her life. The vixen drove back to Interpol where she met the panther in a most handsome tuxedo crying softly.

"I…lost so much," he said grievingly. "I lost both my brother and my only love. God, ever since I tried to redeem my family's past, it only makes things worse for me! I am a killer!"

"Don't blame yourself, Seth. You didn't kill them. Stop blaming yourself," the vixen told him. "It wasn't your fault and it never has been. You did the right thing and you still are. Besides, you are a great Constable that may one day make it to my ranks."

"You serious?"

"Dead serious," she smiled. "Come on, Seth. We have business to attend to."

She offered her hand to him and he took it, a smile slowly forming on his face. The panther followed her into his future and whatever else may come from it.

* * *

"Will, wait up!"

"You'll have to catch me, Blake!"

"Get back here!"

"You'll have to catch me first!"

"Hey, no fair! I can't run as fast as you!"

Willard Tanaka and Blake Montag were now in the streets of Venice where they had heard about this Don Octavio guy and where wanting to investigate that matter. The two of them had come a long way from Paris and where now making their way to a new adventure they never thought they could achieve before.

"Will! No fair, wait up!"

"I'm still running! You can't catch me, Blake!"

"When I get you, you are so dead!"

"We'll see about that, boy!"

The two friends never thought they could amount to anything one time in their lives. And even though some had been taken away by fate, they managed to prove all doubt wrong in the end.

END

I'd like to thank Vanished Paradigm, Retaya Fox, Heiduska, Guardian Angel 21, and everyone else for this. You guys have been a lot of help to make all of this possible. I thank you all.


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